Congressional Tribute to Celia Cruz Act

        [Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3009 Introduced in House (IH)]

108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3009

To posthumously award a Congressional gold medal to Celia Cruz.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 4, 2003

Mr. Menendez (for himself, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. Rodriguez, Mr. Baca,
Mr. Foley, Mr. Towns, Mr. Acevedo-Vila, Ms. Harman, Ms. Linda T.
Sanchez of California, Mr. Rothman, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mrs.
Christensen, Mr. Honda, Mr. Hinojosa, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Ortiz, Mrs.
Napolitano, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Reyes, Ms. Norton, Ms. Corrine Brown of
Florida, Ms. Solis, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Weller, Ms. Millender-McDonald,
Ms. Bordallo, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. McCollum, Mr. Rangel, Mr. English, Mr.
Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, Mr. Pascrell, Mr. Pastor, Mr. Payne, Mr.
Frost, and Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To posthumously award a Congressional gold medal to Celia Cruz.

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 ``Congressional Tribute to Celia Cruz
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

The Congress finds as follows:
(1) Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alonso was raised as one of 14
children in the Santa Suarez district of Havana, Cuba.
(2) In 1960, Cruz and members of her band fled Cuba for the
United States to escape the oppressive regime of Fidel Castro.
(3) Celia Cruz and Pedro Knight, her husband of 40 years,
chose to make America their permanent home, where she became a
naturalized American citizen.
(4) While best known for her work as an entertainer, Celia
Cruz influenced the lives of millions of people as an
ambassador of Latino culture and a powerful voice of freedom.
(5) Over a prolific 50-year career as an entertainer, Celia
Cruz became known as the ``Queen of Salsa''.
(6) She recorded over 50 albums, and her collaborative
efforts with other performers helped break down ethnic and
cultural barriers.
(7) The musical talent of Celia Cruz earned her hundreds of
awards worldwide, most notably a 1990 Grammy Award and
Billboard Magazine's ``Lifetime Achievement Award'' in 1995.
(8) In 1994, Cruz was recognized by President Clinton with
the National Endowment of the Arts Award.
(9) On July 17, 2003, ``Celia Cruz'', as she was more
commonly known, passed away at her Fort Lee, New Jersey, home
after battling brain cancer.
(10) Celia Cruz was much more than just a singer to
millions of fans worldwide, especially to Latinos in America,
and her contributions to music, Latino culture, and American
society make her most deserving of America's highest civilian
award, the Congressional Gold Medal.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

(a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make
appropriate arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of
the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design in commemoration of
Celia Cruz, in recognition of her enduring contributions to music,
Latino culture, and American society.
(b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation referred
to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in
this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with suitable
emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold
medal struck pursuant to section 2 under such regulations as the
Secretary may prescribe, at a price sufficient to cover the cost
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and
overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold medal.

SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

(a) National Medals.--The medals struck pursuant to this Act are
national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States
Code.
(b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 of title 31,
United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be
considered to be numismatic items.

SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

(a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund, such
amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck
pursuant to this Act.
(b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate
bronze medals authorized under section 3 shall be deposited into the
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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