[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5013 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 5013
To amend requirements for awarding the National Medal of Science, the
National Medal of Arts, and the National Technology and Innovation
Medal, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 11, 2020
Mr. Booker introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend requirements for awarding the National Medal of Science, the
National Medal of Arts, and the National Technology and Innovation
Medal, 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 ``National Civilian Medals Improvement
Act''.
SEC. 2. THE NATIONAL MEDAL OF SCIENCE AWARD.
The Act entitled ``An Act to establish a National Medal of Science
to provide recognition for individuals who make outstanding
contributions in the physical, biological, mathematical, engineering,
behavioral, and social sciences.'', approved August 25, 1959 (42 U.S.C.
1881), is amended--
(1) in the title, by striking ``engineering, behavioral,
and social'' and inserting ``and engineering sciences''; and
(2) by amending section 2 to read as follows:
``SEC. 2. AWARD OF THE NATIONAL MEDAL OF SCIENCE.
``(a) Recommendations.--The President shall award the National
Medal of Science to an individual or a group who in the judgment of the
President is deserving of special recognition by reason of outstanding
contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical,
or engineering sciences on the basis of--
``(1) information and evidence the President determines
appropriate; and
``(2) recommendations received from--
``(A) the President's Committee on the National
Medal of Science (or a successor of such committee);
``(B) the Director of the National Science
Foundation;
``(C) the President of the National Academy of
Sciences;
``(D) the Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy; and
``(E) the Director of the National Institutes of
Health.
``(b) Number; Annual Requirement.--Annually, the President shall
award at least 1 medal, and the President may not award more than 5
medals in any calendar year.
``(c) Citizenship.--
``(1) Citizenship of an individual.--An individual may be
awarded the medal only if at the time the award is made such
individual--
``(A) is a citizen or other national of the United
States; or
``(B) is an alien lawfully admitted to the United
States for permanent residency who--
``(i) has filed an application or petition
for naturalization in the manner prescribed by
section 334 of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8 U.S.C. 1445); and
``(ii) is eligible for naturalization.
``(2) Citizenship of a group.--A group may be awarded the
medal only if such group is organized or incorporated in the
United States.
``(d) Ceremonies.--
``(1) Date requirement.--The presentation of the award
under subsection (a) shall be made by the President, during the
month of April of each calendar year, with such ceremonies as
the President may determine proper.
``(2) Invitation to congress and the supreme court.--The
President shall invite appropriate Members of Congress and all
Justices of the Supreme Court to attend the presentation under
paragraph (1).
``(e) Additional Limitations.--
``(1) Posthumous limitation.--The President may not award
the National Medal of Science posthumously.
``(2) Certain public officials.--The President may not
award the National Medal of Science to--
``(A) the Vice President, the head of an Executive
department, or a Member of Congress; or
``(B) the spouse, child, son-in-law, or daughter-
in-law of an individual described in subparagraph (A),
as determined under applicable common law.''.
SEC. 3. THE NATIONAL MEDAL OF ARTS AWARD.
Section 13 of the National Foundation on the Arts and the
Humanities Act Amendments of 1983 (20 U.S.C. 955b) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``subsection (b)'' and
inserting ``this section'';
(2) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
``(b) Recommendations.--The President shall award the National
Medal of Arts, on the basis of recommendations from the National
Council on the Arts, to an individual or a group who in the judgment of
the President is deserving of special recognition by reason of
outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support, and
availability of the arts in the United States.'';
(3) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (g); and
(4) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
``(c) Number; Annual Requirement.--Annually, the President shall
award at least 1 National Medal of Arts, and the President may not
award more than 5 of such medals in any calendar year.
``(d) Citizenship.--
``(1) Citizenship of an individual.--An individual may be
awarded the National Medal of Arts only if at the time the
award is made such individual--
``(A) is a citizen or other national of the United
States; or
``(B) is an alien lawfully admitted to the United
States for permanent residency who--
``(i) has filed an application or petition
for naturalization in the manner prescribed by
section 334 of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8 U.S.C. 1445); and
``(ii) is eligible to become a citizen of
the United States.
``(2) Citizenship of a group.--A group may be awarded the
National Medal of Arts only if such group is organized or
incorporated in the United States.
``(e) Ceremonies.--
``(1) Date requirement.--The presentation of the award
under subsection (a) shall be made by the President, during the
month of October of each calendar year, with such ceremonies as
the President may determine proper.
``(2) Invitation to congress and the supreme court.--The
President shall invite appropriate Members of Congress and all
Justices of the Supreme Court to attend the presentation under
paragraph (1).
``(f) Additional Limitations.--
``(1) Posthumous limitation.--The President may not award
the National Medal of Arts posthumously.
``(2) Certain public officials.--The President may not
award the National Medal of Arts to--
``(A) the Vice President, the head of an Executive
department, or a Member of Congress; or
``(B) the spouse, child, son-in-law, or daughter-
in-law of an individual described in subparagraph (A),
as determined under applicable common law.''.
SEC. 4. THE NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION MEDAL.
Section 16 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of
1980 (15 U.S.C. 3711) is amended--
(1) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
``(b) Recommendations.--The President shall award the National
Technology and Innovation Medal to an individual or a group who in the
judgment of the President is deserving of special recognition by reason
of outstanding contributions to the promotion of technology or
technological manpower for the improvement of the economic,
environmental, or social well-being of the United States on the basis
of--
``(1) information and evidence the President determines
appropriate; and
``(2) recommendations from--
``(A) the National Medal of Technology and
Innovation Nomination Evaluation Committee (or a
successor of such committee);
``(B) the Director of the United States Patent and
Trademark Office;
``(C) the Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy;
``(D) the Director of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology; and
``(E) the Director of the National Science
Foundation.'';
(2) by striking subsection (c); and
(3) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
``(c) Number; Annual Requirement.--Annually, the President shall
award at least 1 National Technology and Innovation Medal, and the
President may not award more than 5 of such medals in any calendar
year.
``(d) Citizenship.--
``(1) Citizenship of an individual.--An individual may be
awarded the National Technology and Innovation Medal only if at
the time the award is made such individual--
``(A) is a citizen or other national of the United
States; or
``(B) is an alien lawfully admitted to the United
States for permanent residency who--
``(i) has filed an application or petition
for naturalization in the manner prescribed by
section 334 of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8 U.S.C. 1445); and
``(ii) is eligible to become a citizen of
the United States.
``(2) Citizenship of a group.--A group may be awarded the
National Technology and Innovation Medal only if such group is
organized or incorporated in the United States.
``(e) Ceremonies.--
``(1) Date requirement.--The presentation of the award
under subsection (a) shall be made by the President, during the
month of April of each calendar year, with such ceremonies as
the President may determine proper.
``(2) Invitation to congress and the supreme court.--The
President shall invite appropriate Members of Congress and all
Justices of the Supreme Court to attend the presentation under
paragraph (1).
``(f) Additional Limitations.--
``(1) Posthumous limitation.--The President may not award
the National Technology and Innovation Medal posthumously.
``(2) Certain public officials.--The President may not
award the National Technology and Innovation Medal to--
``(A) the Vice President, the head of an Executive
department, or a Member of Congress; or
``(B) the spouse, child, son-in-law, or daughter-
in-law of an individual described in subparagraph (A),
as determined under applicable common law.''.
SEC. 5. THE NATIONAL HUMANITIES MEDAL.
(a) Establishment.--There is established a National Humanities
Medal, which shall be a medal of such design as is determined
appropriate by the President.
(b) Recommendations.--The President shall award the National
Humanities Medal, on the basis of recommendations from the National
Council on the Humanities, to an individual or a group who in the
judgment of the President is deserving of special recognition by reason
of outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support, and
availability of the humanities in the United States.
(c) Number; Annual Requirement.--Annually, the President shall
award at least 1 National Humanities Medal, and the President may not
award more than 5 of such medals in any calendar year.
(d) Citizenship.--
(1) Citizenship of an individual.--An individual may be
awarded the National Humanities Medal only if at the time the
award is made such individual--
(A) is a citizen or other national of the United
States; or
(B) is an alien lawfully admitted to the United
States for permanent residency who--
(i) has filed an application or petition
for naturalization in the manner prescribed by
section 334 of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8 U.S.C. 1445); and
(ii) is eligible to become a citizen of the
United States.
(2) Citizenship of a group.--A group may be awarded the
National Humanities Medal only if such group is organized or
incorporated in the United States.
(e) Ceremonies.--
(1) Date requirement.--The presentation of the award under
subsection (a) shall be made by the President, during the month
of October of each calendar year, with such ceremonies as the
President may determine proper.
(2) Invitation to congress and the supreme court.--The
President shall invite appropriate Members of Congress and all
Justices of the Supreme Court to attend the presentation under
paragraph (1).
(f) Additional Limitations.--
(1) Posthumous limitation.--The President may not award the
National Humanities Medal posthumously.
(2) Certain public officials.--The President may not award
the National Humanities Medal to--
(A) the Vice President, the head of an Executive
department, or a Member of Congress; or
(B) the spouse, child, son-in-law, or daughter-in-
law of an individual described in subparagraph (A), as
determined under applicable common law.
SEC. 6. THE NATIONAL MEDAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AWARD.
(a) Establishment.--There is established a National Medal of Social
Sciences, which shall be a medal of such design as is determined
appropriate by the President.
(b) Recommendations.--The President shall award the National Medal
of Social Sciences to an individual or a group who in the judgment of
the President is deserving of special recognition by reason of
outstanding contributions to knowledge in the social sciences, on the
basis of--
(1) information and evidence the President determines
appropriate; and
(2) recommendations from--
(A) the presidential committee established to award
the medal described in this section;
(B) the Director of the National Science
Foundation;
(C) the President of the National Academy of
Science; and
(D) the Director of the National Institutes of
Health.
(c) Number; Annual Requirement.--Annually, the President shall
award at least 1 Medal of Social Sciences, and the President may not
award more than 5 of such medals in any calendar year.
(d) Citizenship.--
(1) Citizenship of an individual.--An individual may be
awarded the National Medal of Social Sciences only if at the
time the award is made such individual--
(A) is a citizen or other national of the United
States; or
(B) is an alien lawfully admitted to the United
States for permanent residency who--
(i) has filed an application or petition
for naturalization in the manner prescribed by
section 334 of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8 U.S.C. 1445); and
(ii) is eligible to become a citizen of the
United States.
(2) Citizenship of a group.--A group may be awarded the
National Medal of Social Sciences only if such group is
organized or incorporated in the United States.
(e) Ceremonies.--
(1) Date requirement.--The presentation of the award under
subsection (a) shall be made by the President, during the month
of April of each calendar year, with such ceremonies as the
President may determine proper.
(2) Invitation to congress and the supreme court.--The
President shall invite appropriate Members of Congress and all
Justices of the Supreme Court to attend the presentation under
paragraph (1).
(f) Additional Limitations.--
(1) Posthumous limitation.--The President may not award the
National Medal of Social Sciences posthumously.
(2) Certain public officials.--The President may not award
the National Medal of Social Sciences to--
(A) the Vice President, the head of an Executive
department, or a Member of Congress; or
(B) the spouse, child, son-in-law, or daughter-in-
law of an individual described in subparagraph (A), as
determined under applicable common law.
SEC. 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.
A medal described in this Act, or an amendment made by this Act,
shall be considered a ``thing of value'' for purposes of any Federal
law with respect to bribery or corruption of a Government official.
SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the later of 1
year after the date of enactment of this Act or, after the date of
enactment of this Act, on the date that the President awards at least 1
of each of the medals described in this Act and the amendments made by
this Act.
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