S. 91 — Forgotten Heroes of the Holocaust Congressional Gold Medal Act

[118th Congress Public Law 149]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 1677]]

     FORGOTTEN HEROES OF THE HOLOCAUST CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ACT

[[Page 138 STAT. 1678]]

Public Law 118-149
118th Congress

                                 An Act


 
  To award a Congressional Gold Medal collectively to 60 diplomats, in 
          recognition of their bravery and heroism during the 
             Holocaust. <<NOTE: Dec. 12, 2024 -  [S. 91]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Forgotten Heroes 
of the Holocaust Congressional Gold Medal Act. 31 USC 5111 note.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Forgotten Heroes of the Holocaust 
Congressional Gold Medal Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The following diplomats will be honored posthumously: 
        Per Anger (Sweden), Jose Maria Barreto Bustios (Peru), Lars Berg 
        (Sweden), Philippe Bernardini (Vatican/Italy), Hiram (Harry) 
        Bingham IV (United States), Friedrich Born (Switzerland), 
        Gilberto Bosques Saldivar (Mexico), Carlos de Liz-Texeira 
        Branquinho (Portugal), Samuel del Campo (Chile), Aracy de 
        Carvalho Guimaraes Rosa (Brazil), Jose Arturo Castellanos 
        Contreras (El Salvador), Carl Ivan Danielsson (Sweden), Luis 
        Martins de Souza Dantas (Brazil), Georg Ferdinand Duckwitz 
        (Germany), Harald Feller (Switzerland), Francis (Frank) Foley 
        (United Kingdom), Jean-Edouard Friedrich (Switzerland), Carlos 
        Almeida Afonseca de Sampaio Garrido (Portugal), Raymond Herman 
        Geist (United States), Feng-Shan Ho (Republic of China), 
        Constantin Karadja (Romania), Alexander Kasser (Sandor Kasza) 
        (Sweden), Elow Kihlgren (Sweden), Joseph Willem (Joop) Kolkman 
        (Netherlands), Julius Kuhl (Poland), Aleksander 4ados (Poland), 
        Valdemar Langlet (Sweden), Charles (Carl) Lutz (Switzerland), 
        George Mandel-Mantello (El Salvador), Florian Manoliu (Romania), 
        Manuel Antonio Munoz Borrero (Ecuador), Salomon Jacob (Sally) 
        Noach (Netherlands), Giorgio (Jorge) Perlasca (Spain/Italy), 
        Ernst Prodolliet (Switzerland), Eduardo Propper de Callejon 
        (Spain), Franjo Puncuch (Yugoslavia/Slovenia), Konstanty Rokicki 
        (Poland), Sebastian de Romero Radigales (Spain), Angelo Giuseppe 
        Roncalli (Vatican/Italy), Angelo Rotta (Vatican/Italy), Albert 
        Emile Routier (Turkey/France), Jose Ruiz Santaella (Spain), 
        Stefan Ryniewicz (Poland), Angel Sanz-Briz (Spain), Abdol-
        Hossein Sardari (Iran), Henryk Slawik (Poland), Robert 
        Smallbones (United Kingdom), Aristides de Sousa Mendes 
        (Portugal), Jan Spisiak (Slovakia), Chiune (Sempo) Sugihara 
        (Japan), Ireanaeus Typaldos (Spain), Alexander (Sandor) Ujvary 
        (Vatican/Hungary), Selahattin Ulkumen (Turkey), Gennaro Verolino 
        (Vatican/Italy), Vladimir Vochoc (Czech Republic), Ernst Vonrufs

[[Page 138 STAT. 1679]]

        (Switzerland), Raoul Wallenberg (Sweden), Guelfo Zamboni 
        (Italy), Peter Zurcher (Switzerland), and Jan Zwartendijk 
        (Netherlands).
            (2) On September 1, 1939, Adolf Hitler and the Nazis began 
        their invasion of Europe, which started World War II and threw 
        the world into chaos. The Nazi plan of mass murder of the Jewish 
        population was in full motion. As battles were being fought 
        between countries, Jews were being rounded up and sent to 
        concentration camps throughout Europe. This process began a mass 
        exodus of people out of Europe, especially those in the Jewish 
        community.
            (3) During the war, members of the Jewish community used 
        every tool and means at their disposal to flee Nazi tyranny. 
        Thousands tried to flee on trains or boats to escape from 
        Europe.
            (4) While the armies of countries were fighting each other, 
        a handful of diplomats, from around the world, stepped forward 
        and took heroic actions to save Jews fleeing Europe. This was an 
        incredibly dangerous process. If the Nazis discovered the 
        actions of these diplomats they would be expelled, as a few of 
        them were. Also, while worrying about the Nazis, diplomats had 
        to worry about their careers and livelihoods back home. Many of 
        them had strict orders from their home countries to not aid the 
        Jewish population in any way.
            (5) These diplomats used every means at their disposal to 
        help Jews fleeing persecution. One of the most powerful tools 
        the diplomats had to use was the issuing of passports and travel 
        visas contrary to the instruction of the governments of the 
        diplomats. This process alone is responsible for saving hundreds 
        of thousands of Jewish families in Europe. This was not the only 
        tool used as many of the diplomats were connected with the local 
        populations and were great communicators for Jews trying to 
        travel underground. They were able set up safehouses and 
        getaways to hide Jews and especially Jewish children from Nazi 
        authorities. In the most dangerous of times, several of these 
        diplomats confronted the Nazis directly on behalf of the Jews 
        and personally put themselves in grave danger.
            (6) Every diplomat knew the dangers and knew what they were 
        up against, and still pushed forward to save those in the most 
        danger.
            (7) The Congressional Gold Medal authorized under this Act 
        will help remind humanity that when the diplomats were faced 
        with terrible crises, they went beyond the fold, including 
        risking their careers and the lives of themselves and their 
        families, to engage in this humanitarian mission. The diplomats 
        of today and future generations can look towards these heroes 
        and be inspired by their lives of heroism and sacrifice.
            (8) Nothing in this Act shall be construed as stating or 
        implying that this group of honorees encompasses everyone who 
        took this type of heroic action during this era. As the title 
        attests, the ``Forgotten Heroes'' performed these deeds out of 
        righteousness, with no expectation of public acclaim. The 
        sponsors of this Act wish to honor this group of individuals for 
        whose deeds the historical record is currently definitive and 
        well-documented. Given that historical research is ongoing,

[[Page 138 STAT. 1680]]

        in the event that robust documentation from professional 
        historians, expert stakeholders, and public input identify 
        others worthy of official recognition, future Congresses retain 
        the right to recognize additional forgotten heroes of the 
        Holocaust pursuant to future legislation.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make 
appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of 
a single gold medal of appropriate design in honor of the 60 diplomats 
identified in section 2(1), in recognition of their brave and vital 
service of saving Jews during World War II.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation referred 
to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in this 
Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a single gold medal with suitable 
emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
    (c) Presentation of Medal.--The single gold medal presented under 
subsection (a) shall be presented collectively to the eldest next of kin 
of each of the 60 diplomats identified in section 2(1), who shall 
receive the medal as part of a delegation consisting of a senior 
official representative of the country that each diplomat served and the 
cochairs of the Forgotten Heroes of the Holocaust Committee.
    (d) United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.--
            (1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in 
        honor of the 60 diplomats identified in section 2(1), the gold 
        medal shall be given to the United States Holocaust Memorial 
        Museum, where it will be available for display as appropriate 
        and available for research.
            (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
        United States Holocaust Memorial Museum should make the gold 
        medal awarded pursuant to this Act available for display 
        elsewhere, particularly at appropriate locations associated with 
        Holocaust remembrance.
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medal struck under section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the costs 
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses.
SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medal.--Medals struck pursuant to this Act are national 
medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
    (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of 
title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be 
considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

    (a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be 
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund such 
amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck 
under this Act.

[[Page 138 STAT. 1681]]

    (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate 
bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the 
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

    Approved December 12, 2024.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 91 (H.R. 537):
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 170 (2024):
            Sept. 24, considered and passed Senate.
            Sept. 25, Senate, notwithstanding passage, agreed to 
                amendment
                No. 3299.
            Dec. 4, considered and passed House.

                                  <all>
Forgotten Heroes of the Holocaust Congressional Gold Medal Act

Sponsors

Subjects

Summary

Full Text

Legislative Actions

Ask about this bill
