Rosa Parks Commemorative Coin Act
This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue coins in recognition and celebration of Rosa Parks. All sales of coins issued under this bill must include a surcharge to be paid to the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 916 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 916
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint commemorative coins in
recognition of the life and legacy of Rosa Parks.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 4, 2025
Mrs. Beatty (for herself, Ms. Adams, Mr. Amo, Mr. Bell, Mr. Bishop, Ms.
Brown, Ms. Brownley, Ms. Bynum, Mr. Carson, Mr. Casten, Mr. Carter of
Louisiana, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr.
Cleaver, Mr. Clyburn, Mr. Conaway, Ms. Crockett, Mr. Davis of Illinois,
Mr. Davis of North Carolina, Mr. Fields, Mr. Figures, Mrs. Foushee, Mr.
Frost, Mr. Goldman of New York, Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Grijalva, Mrs.
Hayes, Mr. Horsford, Mr. Ivey, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. Johnson of
Georgia, Ms. Johnson of Texas, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Ms. Kelly of
Illinois, Mr. Kennedy of New York, Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania, Mr. Lynch,
Mrs. McBath, Ms. McClellan, Mrs. McIver, Mr. Meeks, Ms. Moore of
Wisconsin, Mr. Neguse, Ms. Norton, Ms. Plaskett, Mr. Scott of Virginia,
Ms. Sewell, Ms. Simon, Ms. Strickland, Ms. Stevens, Mrs. Sykes, Mr.
Thanedar, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Turner of Texas,
Ms. Underwood, Mr. Vargas, Mr. Veasey, Ms. Waters, Mrs. Watson Coleman,
Ms. Williams of Georgia, and Ms. Pressley) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint commemorative coins in
recognition of the life and legacy of Rosa Parks.
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 ``Rosa Parks Commemorative Coin Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Rosa Parks, widely celebrated as the ``Mother of the
Civil Rights Movement'', became an iconic figure when she
refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery,
Alabama, on December 1, 1955, igniting a pivotal movement that
challenged racial segregation and forever altered the course of
American history.
(2) Born on February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama, to
Leona McCauley, a teacher, and James McCauley, a carpenter,
Parks grew up in the segregated South, experiencing firsthand
the harsh realities of racial injustice.
(3) Despite the profound challenges of racial inequality,
Parks attended segregated schools in Alabama, graduating high
school in 1933, where her education and experiences fueled her
lifelong commitment to activism.
(4) In 1943, Parks became deeply involved with the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People, where she
served as Secretary and Youth Leader, investigating cases of
racial violence such as the rape of Recy Taylor and the
lynching of Emmett Till.
(5) On December 1, 1955, Parks was arrested for refusing to
give up her seat to a White man on a segregated bus in
Montgomery, Alabama, an act that led to the historic 381-day
Montgomery Bus Boycott by more than 40,000 riders.
(6) The boycott sparked a legal challenge to Montgomery's
bus segregation laws, which culminated in the Supreme Court's
landmark decision in Browder v. Gayle declaring bus segregation
unconstitutional on November 13, 1956.
(7) Following the boycott, Parks faced significant personal
and economic hardships, including the loss of her job and
ongoing threats to her life, yet her determination to fight for
justice remained steadfast.
(8) In 1957, Parks moved to Detroit, Michigan, where she
continued her work as an advocate for racial equality, focusing
on economic justice, political participation, and racial
integration.
(9) Parks became a global symbol of resistance to racial
segregation and injustice, and her act of defiance inspired
civil rights movements around the world.
(10) Throughout her life, Parks remained committed to civil
rights activism, participating in marches and speaking
engagements, as well as mentoring younger generations of
activists, furthering her legacy of leadership in the struggle
for racial equality.
(11) Parks passed away on October 24, 2005, at the age of
92, leaving an enduring legacy of courage, resilience, and
leadership that continues to inspire social justice and
equality advocates across the globe.
(12) In recognition of her profound impact, Parks became
the first woman and second African American to lie in honor in
the United States Capitol Rotunda.
(13) In 1996, President Bill Clinton awarded Parks the
Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor
bestowed by the President of the United States.
(14) In 1999, Parks received the Congressional Gold Medal,
the highest expression of national appreciation for
distinguished achievements and contributions bestowed by the
United States Congress.
(15) Parks' legacy is commemorated through numerous
schools, streets, transit stations, and monuments named in her
honor, ensuring that her contributions to American history are
remembered and celebrated.
(16) In 2006, Ohio became the first state to designate
December 1, the day of Parks' arrest, as Rosa Parks Day,
garnering unanimous support from the state legislature and
being signed into law by Governor Bob Taft.
(17) Rosa Parks Day is also celebrated in the states of
California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, and New York on
her birthday, February 4, and in Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee,
and Texas on December 1.
(18) It is fitting and proper to recognize and preserve the
achievements and impact of Rosa Parks, whose personal
sacrifice, unwavering resistance, and inspirational advocacy
were essential to the success of the Civil Rights Movement, and
whose legacy continues to serve as a beacon of hope and
inspiration for future generations.
SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) Denominations.--In recognition and celebration of Rosa Parks,
the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to 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 at least 90 percent gold.
(2) $1 silver coins.--Not more than 400,000 $1 coins, which
shall--
(A) weigh 26.73 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
(C) contain at least 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 legacy of Rosa Parks as a leader
of the Civil Rights Movement. At least one obverse design shall
bear the name and likeness of Rosa Parks.
(2) Designation 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 ``2029''; 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--
(A) the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self
Development; and
(B) 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) Period for Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins minted
under this Act only during the calendar year beginning on January 1,
2029.
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 the
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 minted under this Act shall
include a surcharge as follows:
(1) A surcharge of $35 per coin for the $5 coins.
(2) A surcharge of $10 per coin for the $1 coins.
(3) A surcharge of $5 per coin for the half-dollar coins.
(b) Distribution.--Subject to section 5134(f)(1) 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 the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development,
for the purpose of accomplishing and advancing its mission to carry on
the work of Rosa Parks in youth development and civil rights education
and advocacy.
(c) Audits.--The Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self
Development 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. 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(b) until the
total cost of designing and issuing all of the coins authorized
by this Act (including labor, materials, dies, use of
machinery, winning design compensation, 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 House
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H452)
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
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