U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team Congressional Gold Medal Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3998 To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the United States Women’s Soccer Team in recognition of their extraordinary contributions and commitment to soccer, women’s sports, inclusion, and pay equity. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JULY 25, 2019 Mrs. BEATTY (for herself and Mr. GRIJALVA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addi- tion to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subse- quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the United States Women’s Soccer Team in recognition of their extraor- dinary contributions and commitment to soccer, women’s sports, inclusion, and pay equity. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘U.S. Women’s Na- 4 tional Soccer Team Congressional Gold Medal Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 The Congress finds the following: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Aug 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3998.IH H3998 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 3998 IH (1) The United States Women’s National Soc- 1 cer Team (USWNT) has represented the United 2 States in women’s soccer internationally since 1985. 3 (2) The USWNT has gained international rec- 4 ognition as the most successful Women’s World Cup 5 team, winning four Women’s World Cup titles, be- 6 ginning with the first Women’s World Cup in 1991. 7 The USWNT has participated in every Women’s 8 World Cup, placing no lower than third place and 9 reaching the final five times. 10 (3) The USWNT won the gold medal in the 11 first Olympic women’s soccer tournament in 1996, 12 as well as gold medals in the 2004, 2008, and 2012 13 Olympic Games. 14 (4) The USWNT has consistently been placed 15 at the top of the FIFA Women’s World Rankings 16 and holds the record for the longest period leading 17 the ranking, from March 2008 to December 2014. 18 (5) The 2019 USWNT team, coached by Jill 19 Ellis, is composed of goalkeepers Adrianna Franch, 20 Ashlyn Harris, and Alyssa Naeher; defenders Abby 21 Dahlkemper, Tierna Davidson, Crystal Dunn, Ali 22 Krieger, Kelley O’Hara, Becky Sauerbrunn, and 23 Emily Sonnett; midfielders Morgan Brian, Julie 24 Ertz, Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle, Allie Long, and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Aug 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3998.IH H3998 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 3998 IH Samantha Mewis; and forwards Tobin Heath, Carli 1 Lloyd, Jessica McDonald, Alex Morgan, Christen 2 Press, Mallory Pugh, and Megan Rapinoe. Lloyd, 3 Morgan, and Rapinoe served as team co-captains. 4 (6) The USWNT won the 2019 Women’s World 5 Cup, defeating the Netherlands in the championship 6 game by a score of 2 to 0 on July 7, 2019. 7 (7) As the team celebrated on the field, chants 8 of ‘‘Equal Pay’’ were reported in the stadium. This 9 reaction from the crowd was prompted by growing 10 awareness and media coverage of the pay inequities 11 experienced by the USWNT compared to their male 12 counterparts. 13 (8) The efforts of USWNT regarding wage in- 14 equity, in tandem with their continued success on 15 the field, have advanced our Nation’s dialogue sur- 16 rounding complicated issues such as gender equity. 17 (9) The USWNT also serves as a powerful and 18 visible advocate of the LGBTQ community in ath- 19 letics. 20 (10) Their work on these issues sets a powerful 21 example to young women across the globe, particu- 22 larly women athletes, to stand up for equal treat- 23 ment. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Aug 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3998.IH H3998 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 3998 IH SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 1 (a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of 2 the House of Representatives and the President pro tem- 3 pore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements 4 for the presentation, on behalf of the Congress, of a gold 5 medal of appropriate design to the United States Women’s 6 National Team, in recognition of their extraordinary con- 7 tributions and commitment to soccer, women’s sports, in- 8 clusion, and pay equity. 9 (b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For purposes of the 10 presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary 11 of the Treasury (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Sec- 12 retary’’) shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, 13 devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Sec- 14 retary. 15 (c) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.— 16 (1) IN GENERAL.—Following the award of the 17 gold medal under subsection (a), the gold medal 18 shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where 19 it shall be available for display as appropriate and 20 made available for research. 21 (2) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 22 Congress that the Smithsonian Institution should 23 make the gold medal received under paragraph (1) 24 available for display elsewhere, particularly at other 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Aug 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3998.IH H3998 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 3998 IH appropriate locations associated with women’s soc- 1 cer. 2 SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 3 The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 4 bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3 5 under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at 6 a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, 7 materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses, 8 and the cost of the gold medal. 9 SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS. 10 (a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—The medals struck pursu- 11 ant to this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 12 51 of title 31, United States Code. 13 (b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of section 14 5134 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck 15 under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items. 16 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Aug 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3998.IH H3998 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS