United States Foreign Service Commemorative Coin Act

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3537 To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint a coin in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the United States Foreign Service and its contribution to United States diplomacy. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 18, 2023 Ms. SPANBERGER (for herself, Mr. BERA, Ms. SALAZAR, Mr. PHILLIPS, and Mr. NUNN of Iowa) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services A BILL To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint a coin in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the United States Foreign Service and its contribution to United States diplomacy. 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 ‘‘United States Foreign 4 Service Commemorative Coin Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress finds the following: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:13 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3537.IH H3537 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 3537 IH (1) On September 15, 1789, the 1st United 1 States Congress passed an Act creating the Depart- 2 ment of State and appointing duties to it, including 3 the keeping of the Great Seal of the United States. 4 Initially there were 2 services devoted to diplomatic 5 and to consular activity. The Diplomatic Service pro- 6 vided ambassadors and staff for embassies overseas, 7 while the Consular Service provided consuls to assist 8 United States sailors and promote international 9 trade and commerce. 10 (2) After World War I ended, Congress com- 11 plemented the earlier efforts for Civil Service reform, 12 interrupted by World War I, to create a career, pro- 13 fessional diplomatic service. Representative John 14 Jacob Rogers of Massachusetts introduced his first 15 Foreign Service reform bill in 1919, followed by sev- 16 eral others. He was strongly supported in his efforts 17 by Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes. The 18 legislation provided improvements in the Diplomatic 19 and Consular Services to attract highly qualified 20 candidates ‘‘by keen competition’’. The objective was 21 to create ‘‘a real diplomatic career, open to any 22 American citizen who has the necessary qualifica- 23 tions’’. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:13 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3537.IH H3537 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 3537 IH (3) The Act entitled ‘‘An Act for the reorga- 1 nization and improvement of the Foreign Service of 2 the United States, and for other purposes’’, ap- 3 proved May 24, 1924 (43 Stat. 140, chapter 182) 4 (commonly known as the ‘‘Rogers Act of 1924’’), 5 unified the Diplomatic and Consular Services in one 6 career organization based on competitive examina- 7 tion and merit promotion. It was named the ‘‘For- 8 eign Service of the United States of America’’. 9 President Calvin Coolidge signed the bill into law on 10 May 24, 1924. The first class of new Foreign Serv- 11 ice officers was held in 1925. 12 (4) The Foreign Service of the United States is 13 the primary United States Federal Government pro- 14 fessional cadre of generalists and specialists charged 15 with the conduct of United States diplomacy under 16 the aegis of the United States Department of State. 17 It consists of more than 15,000 career professionals 18 carrying out the foreign policy of the United States 19 and aiding United States citizens abroad. 20 (5) In 1946, after World War II, Congress 21 passed the Foreign Service Act of 1946 (60 Stat. 22 999, chapter 957) to update the 1924 Rogers Act. 23 (6) In 1980, the Congress again updated the 24 Rogers Act, passing the Foreign Service Act of 1980 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:13 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3537.IH H3537 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HR 3537 IH (22 U.S.C. 3901 et seq.), to promote the foreign pol- 1 icy of the United States by strengthening and im- 2 proving the Foreign Service of the United States. 3 (7) Since the creation of the United States For- 4 eign Service, generations of Foreign Service mem- 5 bers and families have represented the United States 6 around the world, in peace and war. Over 320 7 names are inscribed in the memorial plaques erected 8 by the American Foreign Service Association and lo- 9 cated in the lobby of the Harry S. Truman Building, 10 the headquarters of the Department of State, to 11 honor ‘‘diplomatic and consular officers of the 12 United States who while on active duty lost their 13 lives under heroic or tragic circumstances’’. 14 (8) The Association for Diplomatic Studies and 15 Training is dedicated to capturing, preserving, and 16 sharing the experiences of United States diplomats. 17 The Association has created, managed, and main- 18 tained a Foreign Affairs Oral History program con- 19 sisting of more than 2,600 first-person oral histories 20 of United States diplomats to capture and share the 21 legacy and contributions of modern United States 22 diplomacy. The Association is a nongovernmental, 23 member-based, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization 24 housed on the campus of the George P. Shultz Na- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:13 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3537.IH H3537 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •HR 3537 IH tional Foreign Affairs Training Center and depend- 1 ent on funds from members, donations, contracts, 2 and grants to sustain its work. 3 SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS. 4 (a) DENOMINATIONS.—In celebration of diplomacy 5 and in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the United 6 States Foreign Service, the Secretary of the Treasury 7 (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall 8 mint and issue the following coins: 9 (1) $5 GOLD COINS.—Not more than 50,000 $5 10 coins, which shall— 11 (A) weigh 8.359 grams; 12 (B) have a diameter of 0.850 inches; and 13 (C) contain not less than 90 percent gold. 14 (2) $1 SILVER COINS.—Not more than 400,000 15 $1 coins, which shall— 16 (A) weigh 26.73 grams; 17 (B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and 18 (C) contain not less than 90 percent silver. 19 (3) HALF-DOLLAR CLAD COINS.—Not more 20 than 750,000 half-dollar coins which shall— 21 (A) weigh 11.34 grams; 22 (B) have a diameter of 1.205 inches; and 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:13 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3537.IH H3537 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 6 •HR 3537 IH (C) be minted to the specifications for half- 1 dollar coins contained in section 5112(b) of title 2 31, United States Code. 3 (b) LEGAL TENDER.—The coins minted under this 4 Act shall be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of 5 title 31, United States Code. 6 (c) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of sections 7 5134 and 5136 of title 31, United States Code, all coins 8 minted under this Act shall be considered to be numis- 9 matic items. 10 SEC. 4. DESIGNS OF COINS. 11 (a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.— 12 (1) IN GENERAL.—The designs of the coins 13 minted under this Act shall be emblematic of the im- 14 portance of diplomacy to the national interest of the 15 United States and of the creation of the United 16 States Foreign Service and its contributions to mod- 17 ern diplomacy in the United States. 18 (2) DESIGNATIONS AND INSCRIPTIONS.—On 19 each coin minted under this Act there shall be— 20 (A) a designation of the value of the coin; 21 (B) an inscription of the year ‘‘2025’’; and 22 (C) inscriptions of the words ‘‘Liberty’’, 23 ‘‘In God We Trust’’, ‘‘United States of Amer- 24 ica’’, and ‘‘E Pluribus Unum’’. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:13 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3537.IH H3537 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 7 •HR 3537 IH (b) SELECTION.—The designs for the coins minted 1 under this Act shall be— 2 (1) selected by the Secretary, after consultation 3 with the Association for Diplomatic Studies and 4 Training and the Commission of Fine Arts; and 5 (2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory 6 Committee. 7 SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS. 8 (a) QUALITY OF COINS.—Coins minted under this 9 Act shall be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities. 10 (b) PERIOD FOR ISSUANCE.—The Secretary may 11 issue coins minted under this Act only during the 1-year 12 period beginning on January 1, 2025. 13 SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS. 14 (a) SALE PRICE.—The coins issued under this Act 15 shall be sold by the Secretary at a price equal to the sum 16 of— 17 (1) the face value of the coins; 18 (2) the surcharge provided in section 7(a) with 19 respect to such coins; and 20 (3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins 21 (including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, 22 overhead expenses, marketing, and shipping). 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:13 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3537.IH H3537 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 8 •HR 3537 IH (b) BULK SALES.—The Secretary shall make bulk 1 sales of the coins issued under this Act at a reasonable 2 discount. 3 (c) PREPAID ORDERS.— 4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall accept 5 prepaid orders for the coins minted under this Act 6 before the issuance of such coins. 7 (2) DISCOUNT.—Sale prices with respect to pre- 8 paid orders under paragraph (1) shall be at a rea- 9 sonable discount. 10 SEC. 7. SURCHARGES. 11 (a) IN GENERAL.—All sales of coins issued under this 12 Act shall include a surcharge of— 13 (1) $35 per coin for the $5 coins; 14 (2) $10 per coin for the $1 coins; and 15 (3) $5 for the half dollar coins. 16 (b) DISTRIBUTION.—Subject to section 5134(f) of 17 title 31, United States Code, all surcharges received by 18 the Secretary from the sale of coins issued under this Act 19 shall be promptly paid by the Secretary to the Association 20 for Diplomatic Studies and Training to support the collec- 21 tion, curation, and sharing of diplomatic history in the 22 United States via oral history, books, social media, and 23 other means. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:13 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3537.IH H3537 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 9 •HR 3537 IH (c) AUDITS.—The Association for Diplomatic Studies 1 and Training shall be subject to the audit requirements 2 of section 5134(f)(2) of title 31, United States Code, with 3 regard to the amounts received under subsection (b). 4 (d) LIMITATION.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), 5 no surcharge may be included with respect to the issuance 6 under this Act of any coin during a calendar year if, as 7 of the time of such issuance, the issuance of such coin 8 would result in the number of commemorative coin pro- 9 grams issued during such year to exceed the annual 2 10 commemorative coin program issuance limitation under 11 section 5112(m)(1) of title 31, United States Code (as in 12 effect on the date of the enactment of this Act). The Sec- 13 retary may issue guidance to carry out this subsection. 14 SEC. 8. FINANCIAL ASSURANCES. 15 The Secretary shall take such actions as may be nec- 16 essary to ensure that— 17 (1) minting and issuing coins under this Act 18 will not result in any net cost to the United States 19 Government; and 20 (2) no funds, including applicable surcharges, 21 are disbursed to the recipient designated in section 22 7 until the total cost of designing and issuing all of 23 the coins authorized by this Act (including labor, 24 materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:13 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3537.IH H3537 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 10 •HR 3537 IH marketing, and shipping) is recovered by the United 1 States Treasury, consistent with sections 5112(m) 2 and 5134(f) of title 31, United States Code. 3 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:13 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3537.IH H3537 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB