Working Dog Commemorative Coin Act
This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue 50,000 $5 gold coins, 500,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins in commemoration of the service that working dogs provide to society.
The designs of the coins minted under this bill shall be emblematic of the contributions of working dogs to society, including in detection, military service, therapy, and assistance.
Treasury may issue coins only during the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2025.
All sales of coins shall include a surcharge, which shall be paid to America's VetDogs for general expenses associated with the fulfillment of its mission.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 711 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 711
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration
of the invaluable service that working dogs provide to society.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 8, 2023
Mr. Budd (for himself, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Tillis, and Ms. Duckworth)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration
of the invaluable service that working dogs provide to society.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Working Dog Commemorative Coin
Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Dogs going back thousands of years have been tied to
humans whether for protection, companionship, or assisting in
daily activities.
(2) The United States had an unofficial canine military
presence assisting soldiers in the Civil War and World War I,
but military K-9s did not become officially recognized until
March 13, 1942. During the height of the wars in Afghanistan
and Iraq, the United States military employed approximately
2,500 K-9s.
(3) Military K-9s have seen service in every major United
States combat since World War I and have been praised by
military leadership as an indispensable asset for military,
police, government, and private security teams around the
world.
(4) In 2000, section 2583 of title 10, United States Code
(commonly known as ``Robby's Law''), was enacted, which allowed
for the adoption of military K-9s by law enforcement agencies,
former handlers, and other care groups.
(5) Since 2000, military K-9s have left service and gone
onto work explosive detection for police forces and work as
service dogs for veterans and families.
(6) Beyond their military working capacity, working dogs
provide enhanced mobility assistance and renewed independence
for the injured and disabled. Service dogs are able to support
veterans struggling after war, hear for those who are deaf, see
for those who are blind, and even sense changes in a person's
body before a seizure. Working dogs play a vital role in
improving the lives of many.
(7) The service dog programs of America's VetDogs were
created to provide enhanced mobility and renewed independence
to United States veterans, active-duty service members, and
first responders with disabilities.
(8) America's VetDogs provides--
(A) guide dogs for individuals who are blind or
have low vision;
(B) hearing dogs for those who have lost their
hearing later in life by alerting to alarms, door
bells, sirens, and more;
(C) service dogs for those with other physical
disabilities that are specially trained to provide
balance, retrieve dropped items, open and close doors,
turn on and off lights, carry a backpack, and more;
(D) facility dogs that are specially trained to
spend time working with wounded veterans recovering at
military hospitals and veterans medical centers;
(E) dogs that work with physical and occupational
therapists as they treat soldiers and become an
essential part of the healing process; and
(F) posttraumatic stress disorder service dogs that
are trained to help mitigate the symptoms of
posttraumatic stress disorder by providing the
emotional and physical support a veteran may need.
SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) Denominations.--In commemoration of the invaluable service that
working dogs provide to society, the Secretary of the Treasury
(hereafter referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall mint and
issue the following coins:
(1) $5 gold coins.--Not more than 50,000 $5 coins, which
shall--
(A) weigh 8.359 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 0.850 inches; and
(C) contain 90 percent gold.
(2) $1 silver coins.--Not more than 500,000 $1 coins, which
shall--
(A) weigh 26.73 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
(C) contain not less than 90 percent silver.
(3) Half-dollar clad coins.--Not more than 750,000 half-
dollar coins which shall--
(A) weigh 11.34 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 1.205 inches; and
(C) be minted to the specifications for half-dollar
coins contained in section 5112(b) of title 31, United
States Code.
(b) Legal Tender.--The coins minted under this Act shall be legal
tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United States Code.
(c) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of
title 31, United States Code, all coins minted under this Act shall be
considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 4. DESIGNS OF COINS.
(a) Design Requirements.--
(1) In general.--The designs of the coins minted under this
Act shall be emblematic of the vast contributions that working
dogs serve in society to include the range of services that the
dogs provide in detection, military service, therapy, and
assistance.
(2) Designations and inscriptions.--On each coin minted
under this Act, there shall be--
(A) a designation of the value of the coin;
(B) an inscription of the year ``2025''; and
(C) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God
We Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E
Pluribus Unum''.
(b) Selection.--The designs for the coins minted under this Act
shall be--
(1) selected by the Secretary, after consultation with
America's VetDogs and the Commission of Fine Arts; and
(2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.
SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS.
(a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this Act shall be issued
in uncirculated and proof qualities.
(b) Mint Facility.--Only 1 facility of the United States Mint may
be used to strike any particular quality of the coins minted under this
Act.
(c) Period for Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins minted
under this Act only during the 1-year period beginning on January 1,
2025.
SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS.
(a) Sale Price.--The coins issued under this Act shall be sold by
the Secretary at a price equal to the sum of--
(1) the face value of the coins;
(2) the surcharge provided in section 7(a) with respect to
such coins; and
(3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins (including
labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses,
marketing, and shipping).
(b) Bulk Sales.--The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the coins
issued under this Act at a reasonable discount.
(c) Prepaid Orders.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders
for the coins minted under this Act before the issuance of such
coins.
(2) Discount.--Sale prices with respect to prepaid orders
under paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount.
SEC. 7. SURCHARGES.
(a) In General.--All sales of coins issued under this Act shall
include a surcharge of--
(1) $35 per coin for the $5 coins;
(2) $10 per coin for the $1 coins; and
(3) $5 per coin for the half-dollar coins.
(b) Distribution.--Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, United
States Code, all surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of
coins issued under this Act shall be promptly paid by the Secretary to
America's VetDogs for general expenses associated with the fulfillment
of the mission of America's VetDogs, including for costs associated
with--
(1) personnel related to training, dog care, and consumer
needs;
(2) consultants to facilitate the training of America's
VetDogs certified service dog instructors; and
(3) travel, room, and board for clients served by America's
VetDogs.
(c) Audits.--America's VetDogs shall be subject to the audit
requirements of section 5134(f)(2) of title 31, United States Code,
with regard to the amounts received under subsection (b).
(d) Limitation.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), no surcharge may
be included with respect to the issuance under this Act of any coin
during a calendar year if, as of the time of such issuance, the
issuance of such coin would result in the number of commemorative coin
programs issued during such year to exceed the annual 2 commemorative
coin program issuance limitation under section 5112(m)(1) of title 31,
United States Code (as in effect on the date of the enactment of this
Act). The Secretary may issue guidance to carry out this subsection.
SEC. 8. FINANCIAL ASSURANCES.
The Secretary shall take such actions as may be necessary to
ensure that--
(1) minting and issuing coins under this Act will not
result in any net cost to the United States Government; and
(2) no funds, including applicable surcharges, are
disbursed to any recipient designated in section 7 until the
total cost of designing and issuing all of the coins authorized
by this Act (including labor, materials, dies, use of
machinery, overhead expenses, marketing, and shipping) is
recovered by the United States Treasury, consistent with
sections 5112(m) and 5134(f) of title 31, United States Code.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
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