[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2861 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2861
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Billie Jean King, an American
icon, in recognition of a remarkable life devoted to championing equal
rights for all, in sports and in society.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 20, 2023
Mrs. Gillibrand (for herself, Mrs. Capito, and Ms. Sinema) introduced
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee
on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Billie Jean King, an American
icon, in recognition of a remarkable life devoted to championing equal
rights for all, in sports and in society.
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 ``Billie Jean King Congressional Gold
Medal Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Billie Jean King, born Billie Jean Moffitt on November
22, 1943, in Long Beach, California, demonstrated athletic
prowess from a young age. She was introduced to tennis at the
age of 11, and soon after, Billie Jean purchased her first
tennis racket using money she earned working various jobs in
her neighborhood.
(2) Billie Jean broke numerous barriers to become a number
one professional tennis player. She dominated women's tennis
with 39 Grand Slam singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles,
including a record 20 championships at Wimbledon. She also was
a member of 3 World TeamTennis championship teams.
(3) After growing in prominence, Billie Jean used her
platform as a celebrity to fight for equal rights and
opportunities for equality for all in sports, and society, in
the United States.
(4) Billie Jean played an instrumental role in the passage
of title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 (20 U.S.C.
1681 et seq.), a law that mandates equal funding for women's
and men's sports programs in schools and colleges. This
legislation has unlocked a world of opportunities for girls and
women in education and sports.
(5) During Billie Jean's career, the pay difference between
prize money for men and women in tennis continued to expand. By
the early 1970s, the pay gap in prize money reached ratios of
as much as 12 to 1. Fewer and fewer tournaments were hosting
women's events. Billie Jean harnessed the energy of the women's
rights movement to create a women's tennis tour that would
elevate women's tennis and establish pay equity within the
sport. Along with 8 other women tennis players, she formed an
independent women's professional tennis circuit, the Virginia
Slims Series.
(6) In 1973, Billie Jean founded the Women's Tennis
Association, today's principal governing body for women's
professional tennis.
(7) Billie Jean helped found womenSports magazine and
founded the Women's Sports Foundation. Both have been at the
forefront of advancing women's voice in sports.
(8) Billie Jean successfully lobbied for equal prize money
for men and women at the 1973 US Open Tennis Championships. It
would take another 34 years for the other 3 major tournaments
to all offer equal prize money.
(9) In 1973, Billie Jean played a tennis match against
Bobby Riggs, a former World Number 1 player who sought to
undermine the credibility and prominence of women in sports.
Billie Jean defeated Riggs in what became a firm declaration of
women's role in sports and society.
(10) Billie Jean King was the first tennis player and woman
to be named Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year, one
of the ``100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century'' by
LIFE magazine, was the recipient of the 1999 Arthur Ashe Award
for Courage, and has been admitted to the International Women's
Sports Hall of Fame, the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and
the National Women's Hall of Fame.
(11) In 2006, the United States Tennis Association
recognized Billie Jean's immeasurable impact on the sport of
tennis by renaming the site of the US Open in her honor as the
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, which is located
in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York. This was
the first time a major sporting complex was named after a
woman.
(12) In 2009, Billie Jean was awarded the Presidential
Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United
States, by President Barack Obama for her impactful work
advocating for the rights of women. She was the first female
athlete to receive this honor.
(13) In 2014, Billie Jean King founded the Billie Jean King
Leadership Initiative to empower companies and individuals to
create inclusive work environments that celebrate and promote
diversity and equality in the workplace.
(14) In 2020, Fed Cup, the world cup of women's tennis, was
renamed the Billie Jean King Cup, making it the first global
team competition to be named after a woman.
(15) Billie Jean King's extraordinary courage, leadership,
and activism helped propel the women's movement forward, and
open doors for countless people in the United States. On and
off the court, Billie Jean has served as an inspiration to
millions of people the world over. Few women and men have had a
greater impact on their sport and on our society than Billie
Jean King.
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 gold medal of appropriate design to Billie Jean King, in
recognition of her contribution to the United States and her courageous
and groundbreaking leadership advancing equal rights for women in
athletics, education, and our society.
(b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation
described in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to
in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the
Secretary. The design shall bear an image of, and inscription of the
name of, Billie Jean King.
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold
medal struck pursuant to section 3 at a price sufficient to cover the
costs of the medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of
machinery, and overhead expenses.
SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.
(a) National Medals.--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 and section
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.
(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.
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