Texas Ranger Division’s 200th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 4940 To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the establishment of the Nation’s first statewide investigative law enforcement agency, the Ranger Division of the Texas Department of Public Safety. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OCTOBER 31, 2019 Mr. FLORES introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services A BILL To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the estab- lishment of the Nation’s first statewide investigative law enforcement agency, the Ranger Division of the Texas Department of Public Safety. 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 ‘‘Texas Ranger Divi- 4 sion’s 200th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 The Congress finds the following: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:32 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4940.IH H4940 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 4940 IH (1) Established in 1823, the Texas Ranger Di- 1 vision of the Texas Department of Public Safety is 2 the oldest serving statewide law enforcement agency 3 in the Nation and will commemorate their 200th an- 4 niversary in 2023. 5 (2) The Texas Rangers began as a multicul- 6 tural agency, and over two centuries have included 7 Native Americans, Tejanos, Anglo Europeans, Afri- 8 can Americans, and Asian Americans serving in all 9 ranks. Women have also served in both field and 10 command ranks. 11 (3) Through the centuries, the Texas Rangers 12 have served first as a citizen militia protecting 13 ranches, farms, and settlements against hostile 14 raids; they became frontier law enforcement. After 15 the Civil War they became frontier peace officers 16 protecting against outlaws and banditry and pro- 17 viding law enforcement to new towns and settle- 18 ments on burgeoning railroad routes and cattle 19 trails. With the turn of the 20th century they be- 20 came a State Police handling lawlessness in oil 21 boomtowns, violations of Prohibition, and gangsters. 22 (4) In 1935, the Texas Rangers were incor- 23 porated into one of the first Departments of Public 24 Safety in the Nation. Today, they are internationally 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:32 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4940.IH H4940 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 4940 IH respected for conducting major criminal investiga- 1 tions, suppression of organized crime, border recon- 2 naissance, SWAT, bomb squad, special rapid re- 3 sponse, crisis negotiation, joint intelligence center 4 management, and investigation of unsolved crimes. 5 Pioneering initiatives such as the interdiction for the 6 protection of children have resulted in invitations 7 from law enforcement agencies throughout the Na- 8 tion and internationally from Australia to Great 9 Britain to help initiate similar law enforcement ini- 10 tiatives. 11 (5) The Texas Rangers have partnered with 12 Federal agencies on numerous public safety and re- 13 lief initiatives such as in the aftermath of Hurricane 14 Harvey and with the Federal Bureau of Investiga- 15 tions on numerous occasions, including the pursuit 16 of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in 1934. 17 (6) The Texas Rangers are also an icon of 18 American popular culture. Songs, books, and novels 19 have been written about them since the 1840s. They 20 are America’s largest and oldest multimedia ‘‘fran- 21 chise’’ dating back to the earliest years of film, 22 radio, and television. They have been featured in 23 more than 225 movies and seven television series. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:32 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4940.IH H4940 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 4940 IH After the Alamo, the Texas Rangers are the best 1 internationally known historical symbol of Texas. 2 (7) The Texas Ranger Division Commemorative 3 Coin will be the first commemorative coin to honor 4 the Ranger Division of the Texas Department of 5 Public Safety. 6 (8) The United States should pay tribute to the 7 Nation’s oldest statewide investigative law enforce- 8 ment agency, the Ranger Division of the Texas De- 9 partment of Public Safety, by minting and issuing 10 commemorative coins, as provided in this Act. 11 (9) A commemorative coin will bring national 12 and international attention to the lasting legacy of 13 this Nation’s statewide investigative law enforcement 14 agency. 15 (10) The proceeds from a surcharge on the sale 16 of such commemorative coins will assist the financ- 17 ing of the State museum, charitable organizations, 18 and educational scholarship. 19 SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS. 20 (a) DENOMINATIONS.—The Secretary of the Treas- 21 ury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) 22 shall mint and issue the following coins: 23 (1) $5 GOLD COINS.—Not more than 100,000 24 $5 gold coins, which shall— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:32 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4940.IH H4940 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 4940 IH (A) weigh 8.359 grams; 1 (B) have a diameter of 0.850 inches; and 2 (C) contain not less than 90 percent gold. 3 (2) $1 SILVER COINS.—Not more than 500,000 4 $1 coins, which shall— 5 (A) weigh 26.73 grams; 6 (B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and 7 (C) contain not less than 90 percent silver. 8 (3) HALF DOLLAR CLAD COINS.—Not more 9 than 750,000 half dollar coins, which shall— 10 (A) weigh 11.34 grams; 11 (B) have a diameter of 1.205 inches; and 12 (C) be minted to the specifications for half 13 dollar coins contained in section 5112(b) of title 14 31, United States Code. 15 (b) LEGAL TENDER.—The coins minted under this 16 Act shall be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of 17 title 31, United States Code. 18 (c) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of sections 19 5134 and 5136 of title 31, United States Code, all coins 20 minted under this Act shall be considered to be numis- 21 matic items. 22 SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS. 23 (a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:32 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4940.IH H4940 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 4940 IH (1) IN GENERAL.—The design of the coins 1 minted under this Act shall be emblematic of the 2 200 years of exemplary and unparalleled achieve- 3 ments of the Texas Ranger Division. 4 (2) DESIGNATION AND INSCRIPTIONS.—On 5 each coin minted under this Act there shall be— 6 (A) a designation of the value of the coin; 7 (B) an inscription of— 8 (i) the mint date ‘‘2023’’; 9 (ii) the years ‘‘1823’’ and ‘‘2023’’; 10 and 11 (iii) the inscription, ‘‘Courage Integ- 12 rity Perseverance’’; and 13 (C) inscriptions of the words ‘‘Liberty’’, 14 ‘‘In God We Trust’’, ‘‘United States of Amer- 15 ica’’, and ‘‘E Pluribus Unum’’, and such other 16 inscriptions as the Secretary may determine to 17 be appropriate for the designs of the coins. 18 (3) COIN IMAGES.— 19 (A) OBVERSE.—The obverse of the coins 20 issued under this Act shall bear an image of a 21 Texas Ranger badge designed with the word 22 ‘‘Texas’’ at the top, a star in the center of the 23 badge, and the word ‘‘Rangers’’ at the bottom 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:32 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4940.IH H4940 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 4940 IH of the badge emblematic of the Texas Ranger 1 Division and its history. 2 (B) REVERSE.—The reverse of the coins 3 issued under this Act shall bear an image em- 4 blematic of the Texas Rangers legendary status 5 in America’s cultural landscape. The image 6 should depict Texas Rangers on the western 7 frontier, including their geographic, political, or 8 cultural history. 9 (4) REALISTIC AND HISTORICALLY ACCURATE 10 DEPICTIONS.—The images for the designs of coins 11 issued under this Act shall be selected on the basis 12 of the realism and historical accuracy of the images 13 and on the extent to which the images are reminis- 14 cent of the dramatic and beautiful artwork on coins 15 of the so-called ‘‘Golden Age of Coinage’’ in the 16 United States, at the beginning of the 20th century, 17 with the participation of such noted sculptors and 18 metallic artists as James Earle Fraser, Augustus 19 Saint-Gaudens, Victor David Brenner, Adolph A. 20 Weinman, Charles E. Barber, and George T. Mor- 21 gan. 22 (b) SELECTION.—The design for the coins minted 23 under this Act shall be— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:32 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4940.IH H4940 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 8 •HR 4940 IH (1) selected by the Secretary, after consultation 1 with the Chief of the Ranger Division of the Texas 2 Department of Public Safety and the Commission of 3 Fine Arts; and 4 (2) reviewed by the Citizens Coin Advisory 5 Committee. 6 SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS. 7 (a) QUALITY OF COINS.—Coins minted under this 8 Act shall be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities. 9 (b) MINT FACILITIES.—Only 1 facility of the United 10 States Mint may be used to strike any particular quality 11 of the coins minted under this Act. 12 (c) PERIOD FOR ISSUANCE.—The Secretary may 13 issue coins under this Act only during the period begin- 14 ning on January 1, 2023, and ending on December 31, 15 2023. 16 SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS. 17 (a) SALE PRICE.—The coins issued under this Act 18 shall be sold by the Secretary at a price equal to the sum 19 of— 20 (1) the face value of the coins; 21 (2) the surcharge provided in section 7(a) with 22 respect to such coins; and 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:32 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4940.IH H4940 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 9 •HR 4940 IH (3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins 1 (including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, 2 overhead expenses, marketing, and shipping). 3 (b) PREPAID ORDERS.— 4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall accept 5 prepaid orders for the coins minted under this Act 6 before the issuance of such coins. 7 (2) DISCOUNT.—Sale prices with respect to pre- 8 paid orders under paragraph (1) shall be at a rea- 9 sonable discount. 10 SEC. 7. SURCHARGES. 11 (a) IN GENERAL.—All sales of coins minted under 12 this Act shall include a surcharge as follows: 13 (1) A surcharge of $35 per coin for the $5 gold 14 coin. 15 (2) A surcharge of $10 per coin for the $1 sil- 16 ver coin. 17 (3) A surcharge of $3 per coin for the half dol- 18 lar coin. 19 (b) DISTRIBUTION.—Subject to section 5134(f) of 20 title 31, United States Code, the Secretary shall promptly 21 distribute all surcharges received from the sale of coins 22 issued under this Act as follows: 23 (1) The first $2,500,000 available for distribu- 24 tion under this section, to the National Center for 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:32 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4940.IH H4940 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 10 •HR 4940 IH Missing & Exploited Children, to further the Cen- 1 ter’s efforts to provide training, technical assistance, 2 and resources to law enforcement personnel and oth- 3 ers who investigate crimes against children, specifi- 4 cally cases of missing and exploited children. 5 (2) The next $2,500,000 available for distribu- 6 tion under this section to the National Law Enforce- 7 ment Officers Memorial Fund, to further assist the 8 Fund in telling the story of American law enforce- 9 ment, honoring the fallen, and making it safer for 10 those officers who serve. 11 (3) Of amounts available for distribution after 12 the payments under paragraphs (1) and (2)— 13 (A) 50 percent shall be distributed to the 14 Texas Ranger Foundation Scholarship Program 15 for students to pursue higher education. 16 (B) 50 percent shall be distributed to the 17 Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum for 18 the preservation, maintenance, and display of 19 artifacts and documents. 20 (c) AUDITS.—All organizations, associations, and 21 funds shall be subject to the audit requirements of section 22 5134(f)(2) of title 31, United States Code, with regard 23 to the amounts received under subsection (b). 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:32 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4940.IH H4940 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 11 •HR 4940 IH (d) LIMITATION.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), 1 no surcharge may be included with respect to this issuance 2 under this Act of any coin during a calendar year if, as 3 of the time of such issuance, the issuance of such coin 4 would result in the number of commemorative coin pro- 5 grams issued during such year to exceed the annual com- 6 memorative coin program issuance limitation under sec- 7 tion 5112(m)(1) of title 31, United States Code (as in ef- 8 fect on the date of the enactment of this Act). The Sec- 9 retary of the Treasury may issue guidance to carry out 10 this subsection. 11 SEC. 8. FINANCIAL ASSURANCES. 12 The Secretary shall take such actions as may be nec- 13 essary to ensure that— 14 (1) minting and issuing coins under this Act 15 will not result in any net cost to the United States 16 Government; and 17 (2) no funds, including applicable surcharges, 18 shall be disbursed to any recipient designated in sec- 19 tion 7 until the total cost of designing and issuing 20 all of the coins authorized by this Act (including 21 labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead ex- 22 penses, marketing, and shipping) is recovered by the 23 United States Treasury, consistent with sections 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:32 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4940.IH H4940 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 12 •HR 4940 IH 5112(m) and 5134(f) of title 31, United States 1 Code. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:32 Nov 09, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H4940.IH H4940 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS