Little Rock Central High School Desegregation 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 500,000 $1 coins emblematic of the desegregation of the Little Rock Central High School and its contribution to civil rights in America, beginning January 1, 2007.
Terminates such minting authority after December 31, 2007.
States that all sales shall include a surcharge of $10 per coin, to be equally divided and paid to: (1) the Jefferson National Parks Association for the purpose of providing support for programs and other developmental activities at the Little Rock Central High National Historic Site and support for the ongoing mission of the Little Rock Central High National Historic Site; and (2) the Secretary of the Interior for site improvements at the Little Rock Central High National Historic Site, including the establishment of cooperative agreements to preserve and restore the historic character of the vicinity in the historic site's boundaries.
States that Congress intends for such surcharges to supplement amounts provided to the Secretary in appropriation Acts for the Little Rock Central High National Historic Site, and are not intended to be a substitute for such appropriated amounts.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 582 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 582
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration
of the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of the Little Rock Central
High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 9, 2005
Mr. Pryor (for himself and Mrs. Lincoln) 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 50th anniversary of the desegregation of the Little Rock Central
High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, and for other purposes.
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 ``Little Rock Central High School
Desegregation 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) September 2007, marks the 50th anniversary of the
desegregation of Little Rock Central High School in Little
Rock, Arkansas.
(2) In 1957, Little Rock Central High School was the site
of the first major national test for the implementation of the
historic decision of the United States Supreme Court in Brown,
et al. v. Board of Education of Topeka, et al., 347 U.S. 483
(1954).
(3) The courage of the ``Little Rock Nine'' (Ernest Green,
Elizabeth Eckford, Melba Pattilo, Jefferson Thomas, Carlotta
Walls, Terrence Roberts, Gloria Ray, Thelma Mothershed and
Minnie Jean Brown), who stood in the face of violence, was
influential to the Civil Rights movement and changed American
history by providing an example on which to build greater
equality.
(4) The desegregation of Little Rock Central High School by
the 9 African American students was recognized by Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. as such a significant event in the struggle
for civil rights that in May 1958, he attended the graduation
of the first African American from Little Rock Central High
School.
(5) A commemorative coin will bring national and
international attention to the lasting legacy of this important
event.
SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) Denominations.--The Secretary of the Treasury (in this Act
referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall mint and issue not more than
500,000 $1 coins, each of which shall--
(1) weigh 26.73 grams;
(2) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
(3) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.
(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. DESIGN OF COINS.
(a) Design Requirements.--The design of the coins minted under this
Act shall be emblematic of the desegregation of the Little Rock Central
High School and its contribution to civil rights in America.
(b) Designation and Inscriptions.--On each coin minted under this
Act there shall be--
(1) a designation of the value of the coin;
(2) an inscription of the year ``2007''; and
(3) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God We
Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E Pluribus Unum''.
(c) Selection.--The design for the coins minted under this Act
shall be--
(1) selected by the Secretary, after consultation with the
Commission of Fine Arts; and
(2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee
established under section 5135 of title 31, United States Code.
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) Commencement of Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins minted
under this Act beginning January 1, 2007, except that the Secretary may
initiate sales of such coins, without issuance, before such date.
(d) Termination of Minting Authority.--No coins shall be minted
under this Act after December 31, 2007.
SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS.
(a) Sale Price.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
coins issued under this Act shall be sold by the Secretary at a price
equal to the sum of the face value of the coins, the surcharge required
under section 7(a) for the coins, and the cost of designing and issuing
such coins (including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery,
overhead expenses, and marketing).
(b) Bulk Sales.--The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the coins
issued under this Act at a reasonable discount.
(c) Prepaid Orders at a Discount.--
(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) Surcharge Required.--All sales shall include a surcharge of $10
per coin.
(b) Distribution.--Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, United
States Code, all surcharges which are received by the Secretary from
the sale of coins issued under this Act shall be equally divided and
promptly paid by the Secretary to--
(1) the Jefferson National Parks Association for the
purpose of providing support for programs and other
developmental activities at the Little Rock Central High
National Historic Site and support for the ongoing mission of
the Little Rock Central High National Historic Site; and
(2) the Secretary of the Interior for site improvements at
the Little Rock Central High National Historic Site, including
the establishment of cooperative agreements to preserve and
restore the historic character of the vicinity in the historic
site's boundaries.
(c) Audits.--The Jefferson National Parks Association shall be
subject to the audit requirements of section 5134(f)(2) of title 31,
United States Code, with regard to the amounts received by the
Association under subsection (b).
(d) Supplemental Funds.--The surcharges provided to the Secretary
of the Interior under this section are intended by the Congress to
supplement amounts provided to such Secretary in appropriation Acts for
the Little Rock Central High National Historic Site and are not
intended to be a substitute for such appropriated amounts.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2513)
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
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