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133 STAT. 1147
PUBLIC LAW 116–71—NOV. 25, 2019
Public Law 116–71
116th Congress
An Act
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of ratifica-
tion of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, giving
women in the United States the right to vote.
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 Suffrage Centennial
Commemorative Coin Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
(1) Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott organized
the first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New
York. 68 women and 32 men signed the Declaration of Senti-
ments at the Convention in July 1848.
(2) The Declaration of Sentiments was modeled after the
Declaration of Independence and declared that ‘‘all men and
women are created equal’’, linking women’s rights directly to
the founding ideals of the United States.
(3) Suffrage activists, including Elizabeth Cady Stanton,
Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Ida B.
Wells, Jovita Idar, Inez Millholland, Mary Church Terrell, Anne
Dallas Dudley, Carrie Chapman Catt, Alice Paul, Lucy Burns,
Esther Hobart Morris, and many others, conducted over 900
local, State, and Federal campaigns over a 72-year time span
to win women the right to vote.
(4) On November 6, 1917, New York granted women the
right to vote, which was an act that created momentum for
the national movement that culminated in the ratification of
the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States
3 years later.
(5) The 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United
States (‘‘The Susan B. Anthony Amendment’’) guarantees all
United States women the right to vote and was passed by
the 66th Congress of the United States on June 4, 1919.
(6) On August 9, 1920, right before the ratification period
was set to expire, Governor Albert H. Roberts called a special
session of the Tennessee General Assembly to consider the
amendment. Pro-suffrage and anti-suffrage activists from
around the country descended on Nashville, Tennessee, intent
on influencing the legislature.
(7) After the amendment was defeated in a 48–48 tie vote,
Tennessee State Representative Harry T. Burn from McMinn
Women’s
Suffrage
Centennial
Commemorative
Coin Act.
31 USC 5112
note.
Nov. 25, 2019
[H.R. 2423]
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133 STAT. 1148
PUBLIC LAW 116–71—NOV. 25, 2019
County cast the deciding favorable vote after receiving a note
from his mother, Phoebe Ensminger Burn, imploring him to
vote yes for ratification.
(8) On August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th and
final State needed to pass the 19th Amendment, ensuring its
ratification pursuant to Article V of the Constitution of the
United States.
(9) The 19th Amendment was ratified on August 26, 1920,
when Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby issued a proclamation
announcing it has become part of the Constitution of the United
States.
(10) The ratification of the 19th Amendment marked the
single largest extension of voting rights in United States his-
tory, enfranchising 27,000,000 American women in the United
States.
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is—
(1) to honor and commemorate the work of women suffrage
activists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries;
(2) to increase public awareness and appreciation for the
history of the women’s suffrage movement; and
(3) to encourage all women in the United States to exercise
their hard-won franchise and to become involved in civic life
if they so choose.
SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) $1 SILVER COINS.—The Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter
in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall mint and issue
not more than 400,000 $1 coins, which shall—
(1) weigh 26.73 grams;
(2) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
(3) contain at least 90 percent silver.
(b) LEGAL TENDER.—The coins minted under this Act shall
be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United
States Code.
(c) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of sections 5134 and
5136 of title 31, United States Code, all coins minted under this
Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COIN.
(a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The design of the coins minted under
this Act shall be emblematic of the women who played a vital
role in rallying support for the 19th Amendment to the Con-
stitution of the United States.
(2) DESIGNATIONS AND INSCRIPTIONS.—On each coin minted
under this Act, there shall be—
(A) a designation of the value of the coin;
(B) an inscription of the year ‘‘2020’’; and
(C) inscriptions of the words ‘‘Liberty’’, ‘‘In God We
Trust’’, ‘‘United States of America’’, and ‘‘E Pluribus
Unum’’.
(b) SELECTION.—The design for the coins minted under this
Act shall—
(1) contain motifs that honor Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth
Cady Stanton, Carrie Chapman Catt, Harriet Tubman, Mary
Church Terrell, Alice Paul, Lide Meriwether, Ida B. Wells,
and other suffrage activists of the late 19th century and early
20th centuries;
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133 STAT. 1149
PUBLIC LAW 116–71—NOV. 25, 2019
(2) be selected by the Secretary, after consultation with
the Smithsonian Institution’s American Women’s History Initia-
tive, and the Commission of Fine Arts; and
(3) be reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Com-
mittee.
SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS.
(a) QUALITY
OF COINS.—Coins minted under this Act shall
be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.
(b) MINT FACILITIES.—Only one facility of the United States
Mint may be used to strike any particular quality of the coins
minted under this Act.
(c) PERIOD FOR ISSUANCE.—The Secretary may issue coins under
this Act only during the period beginning on January 1, 2020,
and ending on December 31, 2020.
SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS.
(a) SALE PRICE.—The coins issued under this Act shall be
sold by the Secretary at a price equal to the sum of—
(1) the face value of the coins;
(2) the surcharge provided in section 7(a) with respect
to such coins; and
(3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins (including
labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses,
marketing, and shipping).
(b) BULK SALES.—The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the
coins issued under this Act at a reasonable discount.
(c) PREPAID ORDERS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders
for the coins minted under this Act before the issuance of
such coins.
(2) DISCOUNT.—Sale prices with respect to prepaid orders
under paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount.
SEC. 7. SURCHARGES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—All sales of coins issued under this Act shall
include a surcharge of $10 per coin for the $1 coin described
under section 3(a).
(b) DISTRIBUTION.—Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, United
States Code, and section 8(2), all surcharges received by the Sec-
retary from the sale of coins issued under this Act shall be promptly
paid by the Secretary to the Smithsonian Institution’s American
Women’s History Initiative for the purpose of—
(1) collecting, studying, and establishing programs relating
to women’s contributions to various fields and throughout dif-
ferent periods of history that have influenced the direction
of the United States; and
(2) creating exhibitions and programs that recognize
diverse perspectives on women’s history and contributions.
(c) AUDITS.—The Smithsonian Institution’s American Women’s
History Initiative shall be subject to the audit requirements of
section 5134(f)(2) of title 31, United States Code, with regard to
the amounts received under subsection (b).
SEC. 8. FINANCIAL ASSURANCES.
The Secretary shall take such actions as may be necessary
to ensure that—
Review.
Consultation.
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133 STAT. 1150
PUBLIC LAW 116–71—NOV. 25, 2019
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 2423:
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 165 (2019):
Oct. 28, considered and passed House.
Oct. 31, considered and passed Senate.
DAILY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS (2019):
Nov. 25, Presidential remarks.
Æ
(1) minting and issuing coins under this Act will not result
in any net cost to the United States Government; and
(2) no funds, including applicable surcharges, shall be dis-
bursed to any recipient designated in section 7(b) until the
total cost of designing and issuing all of the coins authorized
by this Act (including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery,
overhead expenses, marketing, and shipping) is recovered by
the United States Treasury, consistent with sections 5112(m)
and 5134(f) of title 31, United States Code.
SEC. 9. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying
with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined
by reference to the latest statement titled ‘‘Budgetary Effects of
PAYGO Legislation’’ for this Act, submitted for printing in the
Congressional Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Com-
mittee, provided that such statement has been submitted prior
to the vote on passage.
Approved November 25, 2019.
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