[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6022 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6022
To award a Congressional Gold Medal collectively to the Buffalo Soldier
regiments, authorized by Congress in 1866 to serve in the United States
Armed Forces, in recognition of their superior, dedicated, and vital
service to our Nation.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 28, 2020
Mr. Brown of Maryland (for himself and Mr. Kim) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial
Services, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration,
and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
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A BILL
To award a Congressional Gold Medal collectively to the Buffalo Soldier
regiments, authorized by Congress in 1866 to serve in the United States
Armed Forces, in recognition of their superior, dedicated, and vital
service to our Nation.
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 ``Buffalo Soldiers Congressional Gold
Medal Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) In 1866, Congress passed the Army Organization Act
which authorized the creation of six all-Black cavalry and
infantry regiments. These regiments remained active until the
Army was desegregated in 1951.
(2) According to legend, American Indians called the Black
cavalry troops ``Buffalo Soldiers'' because of their dark,
curly hair, which resembled a buffalo's coat.
(3) The African-American troops accepted the name with
pride and honor, as they were aware of the buffalo's fierce
bravery and fighting spirit.
(4) The original six regiments melded into the following
four regiments:
(A) The 9th Cavalry Regiment assembled in New
Orleans, Louisiana in August and September of 1866.
They were ordered to San Antonio, Texas in April, 1867,
with the mission to maintain order and to secure the
road from San Antonia to El Paso.
(B) The 10th Cavalry Regiment gathered in Fort
Leavenworth, Kansas during the summer of 1867. In
August, 1867, they were ordered to Fort Riley, Kansas
with the mission of protecting the Pacific Railroad.
(C) The 24th Infantry Regiment was organized in
1869, forming from the 38th and 41st Colored Infantry
Regiments. They served throughout the Western United
States, with the mission to protect frontier posts and
secure roadways.
(D) The 25th Infantry Regiment assembled at Camp
William Penn, Pennsylvania beginning in January 1864.
They were assigned to numerous districts within the
Department of the Gulf with the mission to maintain
security.
(5) Buffalo Soldiers also assisted in the protection of
National Parks. They helped fight wildfires and poachers in the
Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks and served as park rangers
in the Sierra Nevada.
(6) In the Spanish American War, all four regiments played
key roles and fought with distinction, despite facing severe
discrimination from the locals.
(7) At the start of World War I, the Buffalo Soldier
regiments were dispatched to locations throughout central
United States and into the Pacific, offering logistics and
support behind the front lines in the American Expeditionary
Forces.
(8) During World War II, African-American soldiers and
units continued to serve proudly under the name ``Buffalo
Soldier'', including the 92nd Infantry Division, which was the
only Black division that saw combat in Europe.
(9) In the Korean War, Buffalo Soldier regiments fought
throughout the Korean peninsula, from the defense of the
``Pusan Perimeter'' to the counteroffensives which resulted in
the end of armed hostilities and the creation of the
Demilitarized Zone.
(10) Buffalo Soldiers had the lowest military desertion and
court-martial rates of their time. In recognition of combat
valor and their actions beyond the call of duty, many were
awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
(11) The Congressional Gold Medal would be an appropriate
way to shed further light on the service of the Buffalo
Soldiers and the instrumental role they played in instilling an
approach to inclusivity within our military and the American
way of life.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Award Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of Representatives
and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate
arrangements for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold
medal of appropriate design to the Buffalo Soldier regiments,
authorized by Congress in 1866 to serve in the United States Armed
Forces, in recognition of their superior, dedicated, and vital service
to our Nation.
(b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award described
in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (in this Act referred
to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with suitable
emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
(c) Smithsonian Institution.--
(1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal
under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the
National Museum of African American History and Culture of the
Smithsonian Institution, where it shall be displayed as
appropriate and made available for research.
(2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal received
under paragraph (1) available for display elsewhere,
particularly at other locations and events associated with the
Buffalo Soldiers.
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold
medal struck pursuant to section 3 under such regulations as the
Secretary may prescribe, at a price sufficient to cover the cost
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and
overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold medal.
SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.
(a) National Medals.--The medals struck under this Act are national
medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
(b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 of title 31,
United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be
considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 6. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying
with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by
reference to the latest statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO
Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional
Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that
such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
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