US Rescue and Aid Individuals of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2023

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2668 To award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the American individ- uals that were active in aiding and rescuing Jews and other refugees during the period of Nazi Germany’s genocidal ‘‘Final Solution’’ policy to murder every Jew in Europe, in recognition of their contributions, which resulted in tens of thousands of Jews and others being spared from almost certain death. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 18, 2023 Ms. CHU (for herself, Mr. COHEN, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. SCHRIER, Mr. GOTTHEIMER, Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. NORTON, Mr. MCGOVERN, and Mr. SHERMAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com- mittee on Financial Services A BILL To award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the American individuals that were active in aiding and res- cuing Jews and other refugees during the period of Nazi Germany’s genocidal ‘‘Final Solution’’ policy to murder every Jew in Europe, in recognition of their contribu- tions, which resulted in tens of thousands of Jews and others being spared from almost certain death. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:29 Apr 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2668.IH H2668 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 2668 IH SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘US Rescue and Aid 2 Individuals of World War II Congressional Gold Medal 3 Act of 2023’’. 4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 5 Congress finds the following: 6 (1) Between 1933 and 1945, United States res- 7 cue and relief organizations were responsible for sav- 8 ing many thousands of Jews and other refugees dur- 9 ing the Holocaust. American groups sponsored, fi- 10 nanced, and organized numerous rescue and relief 11 efforts in Nazi-occupied and neutral Europe. 12 (2) These organizations operated in every coun- 13 try in Europe. There were hundreds of American 14 citizens involved in this effort. 15 (3) The Jewish refugees and others who were 16 saved from almost certain death immigrated to the 17 United States, Israel, and other parts of the world. 18 (4) Refugee agencies worked in the face of op- 19 position to the resettling of Jewish refugees. In 20 1939, Congress rejected proposals to offer asylum to 21 20,000 Jewish children. In the same year, the 22 United States refused asylum to Jewish refugees 23 aboard the S.S. ST. LOUIS, who were forced to re- 24 turn to Europe, and 254 of whom died in the Holo- 25 caust. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:29 Apr 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2668.IH H2668 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 2668 IH (5) In addition, public opinion in America was 1 largely against aiding refugees, especially through 2 immigration. 3 (6) The rescue of Jews and other refugees was, 4 in some cases, extremely dangerous, especially when 5 conducted in Nazi-occupied territories or in collabo- 6 rator nations. A number of rescuers were arrested, 7 imprisoned, and some were killed. 8 (7) Many of these individuals and agencies 9 aided in the relief and resettlement of Jewish refu- 10 gees and others after the war. 11 (8) Among the most prominent was the War 12 Refugee Board, which was responsible for saving the 13 lives of 200,000 Jews and 20,000 non-Jews. 14 (9) A number of these organizations to be hon- 15 ored are still in existence and are continuing efforts 16 to help refugees throughout the world. 17 (10) The individuals being honored include any 18 individual who participated in the rescue or relief of 19 Jews or other refugees who were in danger as a re- 20 sult of the Nazi genocidal policy against Jews and 21 others in Europe, from 1933 to 1945. 22 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 23 (a) AWARD AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of the 24 House of Representatives and the President pro tempore 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:29 Apr 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2668.IH H2668 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HR 2668 IH of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the 1 award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold medal of 2 appropriate design in commemoration of the American in- 3 dividuals that were active in aiding and rescuing Jews and 4 other refugees during the period of Nazi Germany’s geno- 5 cidal ‘‘Final Solution’’ policy to murder every Jew in Eu- 6 rope, in recognition of their contributions, which resulted 7 in tens of thousands of Jews and others being spared from 8 almost certain death. 9 (b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the purposes of the 10 award referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the 11 Treasury (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall 12 strike the gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and 13 inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary. 14 (c) UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MU- 15 SEUM.— 16 (1) IN GENERAL.—Following the award of the 17 gold medal under subsection (a), the gold medal 18 shall be given to the United States Holocaust Memo- 19 rial Museum, where it shall be available for display 20 as appropriate and made available for research. 21 (2) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 22 Congress that the United States Holocaust Memo- 23 rial Museum should make the gold medal received 24 under paragraph (1) available for display elsewhere, 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:29 Apr 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2668.IH H2668 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •HR 2668 IH particularly at other appropriate locations associated 1 with commemoration of the Holocaust. 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, at 5 a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, 6 materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses. 7 SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS. 8 (a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—The medals struck pursu- 9 ant to this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 10 51 of title 31, United States Code. 11 (b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of sections 12 5134 and 5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals 13 struck under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic 14 items. 15 SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF 16 SALE. 17 (a) AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS.—There is 18 authorized to be charged against the United States Mint 19 Public Enterprise Fund such amounts as may be nec- 20 essary to pay for the costs of the medals struck pursuant 21 to this Act. 22 (b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—The amounts received 23 from the sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:29 Apr 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2668.IH H2668 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 6 •HR 2668 IH section 4 shall be deposited into the United States Mint 1 Public Enterprise Fund. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:29 Apr 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2668.IH H2668 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB