Bill Summary
This bill, known as the Women's History and Nineteenth Amendment Centennial Quarter Dollar Coin Program Act, seeks to amend title 31 of the United States Code in order to require the Secretary of Treasury to mint and issue quarter dollars in commemoration of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. The bill also aims to recognize the contributions of women throughout American history by featuring prominent women from each state, district, and territory on the reverse side of the coins. The Secretary is also required to conduct a study on the progress of the program and submit a report to Congress. This legislation hopes to honor the women's suffrage movement and the centennial anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote in the United States.
Possible Impacts
1. The legislation requires the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue quarter dollars in commemoration of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. This could affect people by allowing them to collect and own these special coins, which may have a sentimental or historical value to them.
2. The legislation also allows for the redesign of the quarter dollar, with the requirement that each coin must feature a prominent woman who made significant contributions in a particular state, district, or territory. This could affect people by recognizing and honoring the achievements and contributions of women in their communities.
3. The program also includes a study and report to Congress on the progress of the collection and recognition program. This could affect people by providing information and raising awareness about the history and significance of the 19th Amendment and the women's suffrage movement.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2427 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2427
To amend title 31, United States Code, to require the Secretary of the
Treasury to mint and issue quarter dollars in commemoration of the 19th
Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
August 1, 2019
Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself and Mrs. Fischer) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 31, United States Code, to require the Secretary of the
Treasury to mint and issue quarter dollars in commemoration of the 19th
Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, 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 ``Women's History and Nineteenth
Amendment Centennial Quarter Dollar Coin Program Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The tireless and passionate efforts of the suffragists,
their supporters, and other stakeholders contributed to the
movement to grant and protect the right of all women to vote.
(2) On August 26, 1920, after a long campaign by
suffragists across the country, the Constitution of the United
States was amended by means of the 19th Amendment, which
granted women the right to vote.
(3) On June 24, 1924, all Native Americans were granted
citizenship and, by extension, the right to vote.
(4) In 1948, the legal victories of Native American
veterans granted protections for the right of all Native men
and women to vote.
(5) On June 27, 1952, the Immigration and Nationality Act
(8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) was enacted, which granted citizenship
to all individuals of Asian descent and, by extension, the
right to vote.
(6) Enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C.
10301 et seq.) on August 6, 1965, granted Black women
protections to overcome the legal barriers that prevented many
from exercising their right to vote even though all Blacks had
been granted citizenship in 1868 with ratification of the 14th
Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
(7) On August 6, 1975, the amendments to the
reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 removed
language barriers to mitigate discrimination against Hispanic,
Asian, and Native American voters.
(8) Women's history and the movement for women's rights
that the suffragists began extends beyond ratification of the
19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
(9) August 26, 2020, marks the centennial of the day that
women were granted the right to vote in the United States.
SEC. 3. ISSUANCE OF COINS COMMEMORATING THE NINETEENTH AMENDMENT.
(a) Amendment to National Sites Quarter Dollar Program.--Section
5112(t) of title 31, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ``Notwithstanding the
fourth sentence of subsection (d)(1) and subsection (d)(2)''
and inserting ``Subject to paragraph (8), and notwithstanding
the fourth sentence of subsection (d)(1) and subsection
(d)(2)'';
(2) by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the following:
``(7) Period of issuance.--Subject to paragraph (2), the
program established under this subsection shall continue in
effect until the earlier of--
``(A) the date on which a national site in each
State has been honored; or
``(B) March 31, 2021.''; and
(3) by striking paragraph (8) and inserting the following:
``(8) Designs starting on january 1, 2021.--
``(A) Transition period.--The design of the quarter
dollar during the period beginning on January 1, 2021,
and ending on December 31, 2021, shall be as follows:
``(i) On January 1, 2021, the design shall
be the final design of the national sites
program established by this subsection.
``(ii) On a date selected by the Secretary
that is not earlier than January 15, 2021, and
not later than December 31, 2021, the design
shall be the first design selected pursuant to
the program established under subsection (x).
``(B) Design after end of program.--Beginning on
August 1, 2021, the design of the quarter dollar shall
be in accordance with subsection (x).''.
(b) Issuance of Coins Commemorating the Nineteenth Amendment.--
Section 5112 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at
the end the following:
``(x) Redesign and Issuance of Quarter Dollars Commemorating the
Ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment.--
``(1) Redesign beginning in 2021.--Notwithstanding the
fourth sentence of subsection (d)(1) and subsection (d)(2),
quarter dollars issued during the period beginning on the date
selected under subsection (t)(8)(A)(ii) and ending on the date
described in paragraph (8) shall have designs on the reverse
selected in accordance with this subsection.
``(2) Nineteenth amendment quarter dollar design
requirements.--
``(A) Flexibility with regard to placement of
inscriptions.--Notwithstanding subsection (d)(1), the
Secretary may select a design for quarter dollars
described in paragraph (1) in which--
``(i) the inscription described in the
second sentence of subsection (d)(1) appears on
the reverse side of each such quarter dollar;
and
``(ii) any inscription described in the
third sentence of subsection (d)(1) or the
designation of the value of the coin appears on
the obverse side of each such quarter dollar.
``(B) Single prominent american woman.--
Notwithstanding subsection (d)(1), the design on the
reverse of each coin issued under this subsection
shall--
``(i) be emblematic of the accomplishments
and contributions of a prominent woman who was
a resident of a State, the District of
Columbia, or a territory;
``(ii) bear the name of the prominent woman
selected under clause (i) and the State,
District of Columbia, or territory; and
``(iii) bear other appropriate
inscriptions.
``(3) Issuance of coins during each year.--
``(A) In general.--The designs for the quarter
dollar coins issued during each year of the period
described in paragraph (1) shall be emblematic of a
maximum of 5 States, the District of Columbia, or
territories.
``(B) Order of issuance.--The quarter dollar coins
issued during each year of the period described in
paragraph (1) shall be issued in alphabetical order of
the area represented, starting with Alabama.
``(C) Number of each of coin designs in each
year.--The Secretary shall prescribe the number of
quarter dollars that shall be issued with each of the
designs selected for each year.
``(4) Selection of design.--
``(A) In general.--Each of the designs required
under this subsection for quarter dollar coins shall--
``(i) be determined by the Secretary
after--
``(I) submission of a
recommendation from the chief executive
of the applicable State, the District
of Columbia, or territory being
commemorated; and
``(II) consultation with the
Commission of Fine Arts;
``(ii) be reviewed by the Citizens Coinage
Advisory Committee; and
``(iii) honor or commemorate a woman who
has made significant contributions to the lives
of individuals of the applicable State, the
District of Columbia, or territory.
``(B) Selection and approval process.--Designs for
quarter dollars may be submitted in accordance with the
design selection and approval process developed by the
Secretary.
``(C) Participation.--The Secretary shall include
in design development, to the greatest extent
practicable, input by--
``(i) the chief executive of the applicable
State, District of Columbia, or territory;
``(ii) artists from the States, the
District of Columbia, and territories;
``(iii) engravers of the United States
Mint;
``(iv) members of the general public from
groups or organizations that are pursuing a
mission focused on increasing the inclusion of
women or improving the quality of life for
women; and
``(v) women's groups and organizations
within the applicable State, the District of
Columbia, or territory being commemorated that
are pursuing a mission focused on increasing
the inclusion of women or improving the quality
of life for women.
``(D) Standards.--Because it is important that the
coinage and currency of the United States bear
dignified designs of which the citizens of the United
States can be proud, the Secretary may not select any
frivolous or inappropriate design for any coin minted
under this subsection.
``(E) Prohibition on certain representations.--The
design of any quarter dollar under this subsection may
not include--
``(i) a head and shoulders portrait or bust
of any person, living or dead;
``(ii) a portrait of a living person; or
``(iii) a depiction of an individual in a
size such that the coin could be considered to
be a `2-headed' coin.
``(F) Release of designs.--Not later than August
31, 2020, the Secretary shall identify the first 5
women to be honored under this subsection.
``(5) Treatment as numismatic items.--For purposes of
sections 5134 and 5136, all coins minted under this subsection
shall be considered to be numismatic items.
``(6) Issuance.--
``(A) Quality of coins.--The Secretary may mint and
issue such number of quarter dollars of each design
selected under paragraph (4) in uncirculated and proof
qualities as the Secretary determines to be
appropriate.
``(B) Silver coins.--Notwithstanding subsection
(b), the Secretary may mint and issue such number of
quarter dollars of each design selected under paragraph
(4) as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, with
a content of not less than 90 percent silver.
``(7) Application in event of the admission of additional
state.--If any additional State is admitted into the Union
before the termination date described in paragraph (8), the
Secretary may issue quarter dollar coins, in accordance with
this subsection, with a design that is emblematic of such State
during any 1 year of the period described in paragraph (1), in
addition to the quarter dollar coins issued during that year in
accordance with paragraph (3)(A).
``(8) Termination date.--The authority to issue quarter
dollar coins under this subsection shall terminate on December
31 of the year in which the final State or territory has been
commemorated with a design pursuant to paragraph (3).
``(9) Designs after end of program.--On the first day of
the year following the year of the date described in paragraph
(8)--
``(A) the design on the obverse of the quarter
dollar shall revert to the same design containing an
image of President Washington in effect for the quarter
dollar before the institution of the 50-State quarter
dollar program; and
``(B) notwithstanding the fourth sentence of
subsection (d)(1), the design on the reverse of the
quarter dollar shall contain an image of General
Washington crossing the Delaware River prior to the
Battle of Trenton.
``(10) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Resident.--The term `resident', with respect
to a State, the District of Columbia, or a territory,
means that a woman resided in that State, the District
of Columbia, or that territory for a period of not less
than 1 consecutive year.
``(B) Territory.--The term `territory' means the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the
United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands.
``(y) Silver Bullion Investment Product.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall strike and make
available for sale such number of bullion coins as the
Secretary determines to be appropriate that are exact
duplicates of the quarter dollars issued under subsection (x),
each of which shall--
``(A) have a diameter of 3.0 inches and weigh 5.0
ounces;
``(B) contain .999 fine silver;
``(C) have incused into the edge the fineness and
weight of the bullion coin;
``(D) bear an inscription of the denomination of
such coin, which shall be `quarter dollar'; and
``(E) not be minted or issued by the United States
Mint as so-called `fractional' bullion coins or in any
size other than the size described in subparagraph (A).
``(2) Availability for sale.--Bullion coins minted under
paragraph (1)--
``(A) shall become available for sale not earlier
than the first day of the calendar year in which the
circulating quarter dollar coins of which such bullion
coins are a duplicate are issued; and
``(B) may only be available for sale during the
year in which such circulating quarter dollar coins are
issued.''.
SEC. 4. COLLECTION AND RECOGNITION PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Not later than December 1, 2019, the Secretary of
the Treasury (referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'') shall
initiate a program to promote the collection of, and recognition of the
subjects of, the coins authorized under the amendments made by this
Act.
(b) Study Required.--The Secretary shall conduct a study on the
progress of the program described in subsection (a).
(c) Report.--Not later than March 1, 2023, the Secretary shall
submit to Congress a report on the results of the study conducted under
subsection (b).
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