[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1437 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1437
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.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 18, 2025
Ms. Strickland (for herself and Mr. Conaway) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in
addition to the Committee on House Administration, 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 2025''.
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 Antonio 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 the 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, at a price sufficient to cover the
cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and
overhead expenses.
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 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.
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