[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 91 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
S.91
One Hundred Eighteenth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
the third day of January, two thousand and twenty four
An Act
To award a Congressional Gold Medal collectively to 60 diplomats, in
recognition of their bravery and heroism during the Holocaust.
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 ``Forgotten Heroes of the Holocaust
Congressional Gold Medal Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) The following diplomats will be honored posthumously: Per
Anger (Sweden), Jose Maria Barreto Bustios (Peru), Lars Berg
(Sweden), Philippe Bernardini (Vatican/Italy), Hiram (Harry)
Bingham IV (United States), Friedrich Born (Switzerland), Gilberto
Bosques Saldivar (Mexico), Carlos de Liz-Texeira Branquinho
(Portugal), Samuel del Campo (Chile), Aracy de Carvalho Guimaraes
Rosa (Brazil), Jose Arturo Castellanos Contreras (El Salvador),
Carl Ivan Danielsson (Sweden), Luis Martins de Souza Dantas
(Brazil), Georg Ferdinand Duckwitz (Germany), Harald Feller
(Switzerland), Francis (Frank) Foley (United Kingdom), Jean-Edouard
Friedrich (Switzerland), Carlos Almeida Afonseca de Sampaio Garrido
(Portugal), Raymond Herman Geist (United States), Feng-Shan Ho
(Republic of China), Constantin Karadja (Romania), Alexander Kasser
(Sandor Kasza) (Sweden), Elow Kihlgren (Sweden), Joseph Willem
(Joop) Kolkman (Netherlands), Julius Kuhl (Poland), Aleksander
4ados (Poland), Valdemar Langlet (Sweden), Charles (Carl) Lutz
(Switzerland), George Mandel-Mantello (El Salvador), Florian
Manoliu (Romania), Manuel Antonio Munoz Borrero (Ecuador), Salomon
Jacob (Sally) Noach (Netherlands), Giorgio (Jorge) Perlasca (Spain/
Italy), Ernst Prodolliet (Switzerland), Eduardo Propper de Callejon
(Spain), Franjo Puncuch (Yugoslavia/Slovenia), Konstanty Rokicki
(Poland), Sebastian de Romero Radigales (Spain), Angelo Giuseppe
Roncalli (Vatican/Italy), Angelo Rotta (Vatican/Italy), Albert
Emile Routier (Turkey/France), Jose Ruiz Santaella (Spain), Stefan
Ryniewicz (Poland), Angel Sanz-Briz (Spain), Abdol-Hossein Sardari
(Iran), Henryk Slawik (Poland), Robert Smallbones (United Kingdom),
Aristides de Sousa Mendes (Portugal), Jan Spisiak (Slovakia),
Chiune (Sempo) Sugihara (Japan), Ireanaeus Typaldos (Spain),
Alexander (Sandor) Ujvary (Vatican/Hungary), Selahattin Ulkumen
(Turkey), Gennaro Verolino (Vatican/Italy), Vladimir Vochoc (Czech
Republic), Ernst Vonrufs (Switzerland), Raoul Wallenberg (Sweden),
Guelfo Zamboni (Italy), Peter Zurcher (Switzerland), and Jan
Zwartendijk (Netherlands).
(2) On September 1, 1939, Adolf Hitler and the Nazis began
their invasion of Europe, which started World War II and threw the
world into chaos. The Nazi plan of mass murder of the Jewish
population was in full motion. As battles were being fought between
countries, Jews were being rounded up and sent to concentration
camps throughout Europe. This process began a mass exodus of people
out of Europe, especially those in the Jewish community.
(3) During the war, members of the Jewish community used every
tool and means at their disposal to flee Nazi tyranny. Thousands
tried to flee on trains or boats to escape from Europe.
(4) While the armies of countries were fighting each other, a
handful of diplomats, from around the world, stepped forward and
took heroic actions to save Jews fleeing Europe. This was an
incredibly dangerous process. If the Nazis discovered the actions
of these diplomats they would be expelled, as a few of them were.
Also, while worrying about the Nazis, diplomats had to worry about
their careers and livelihoods back home. Many of them had strict
orders from their home countries to not aid the Jewish population
in any way.
(5) These diplomats used every means at their disposal to help
Jews fleeing persecution. One of the most powerful tools the
diplomats had to use was the issuing of passports and travel visas
contrary to the instruction of the governments of the diplomats.
This process alone is responsible for saving hundreds of thousands
of Jewish families in Europe. This was not the only tool used as
many of the diplomats were connected with the local populations and
were great communicators for Jews trying to travel underground.
They were able set up safehouses and getaways to hide Jews and
especially Jewish children from Nazi authorities. In the most
dangerous of times, several of these diplomats confronted the Nazis
directly on behalf of the Jews and personally put themselves in
grave danger.
(6) Every diplomat knew the dangers and knew what they were up
against, and still pushed forward to save those in the most danger.
(7) The Congressional Gold Medal authorized under this Act will
help remind humanity that when the diplomats were faced with
terrible crises, they went beyond the fold, including risking their
careers and the lives of themselves and their families, to engage
in this humanitarian mission. The diplomats of today and future
generations can look towards these heroes and be inspired by their
lives of heroism and sacrifice.
(8) Nothing in this Act shall be construed as stating or
implying that this group of honorees encompasses everyone who took
this type of heroic action during this era. As the title attests,
the ``Forgotten Heroes'' performed these deeds out of
righteousness, with no expectation of public acclaim. The sponsors
of this Act wish to honor this group of individuals for whose deeds
the historical record is currently definitive and well-documented.
Given that historical research is ongoing, in the event that robust
documentation from professional historians, expert stakeholders,
and public input identify others worthy of official recognition,
future Congresses retain the right to recognize additional
forgotten heroes of the Holocaust pursuant to future legislation.
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 single gold medal of appropriate design in honor of the 60
diplomats identified in section 2(1), in recognition of their brave and
vital service of saving Jews during World War II.
(b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation referred
to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in
this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a single gold medal with
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the
Secretary.
(c) Presentation of Medal.--The single gold medal presented under
subsection (a) shall be presented collectively to the eldest next of
kin of each of the 60 diplomats identified in section 2(1), who shall
receive the medal as part of a delegation consisting of a senior
official representative of the country that each diplomat served and
the cochairs of the Forgotten Heroes of the Holocaust Committee.
(d) United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.--
(1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in honor
of the 60 diplomats identified in section 2(1), the gold medal
shall be given to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum,
where it will be available for display as appropriate and available
for research.
(2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum should make the gold medal
awarded pursuant to this Act available for display elsewhere,
particularly at appropriate locations associated with Holocaust
remembrance.
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold
medal struck under section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the costs
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and
overhead expenses.
SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.
(a) National Medal.--Medals struck pursuant to this Act are
national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States
Code.
(b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 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.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.