#aadth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #ebg ,,an ,,act ,to award a ,congressional ,gold ,medal to the ,foot ,soldiers who participated in ,bloody ,sunday1 ,turnaround ,tuesday1 or the final ,selma to ,montgomery ,voting ,rights ,march in ,march of #aife1 which served as a catalyst for the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife4 #a4 ,findings ,the ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,march #g1 #bjae1 will mark #ej years since the brave ,foot ,soldiers of the ,voting ,rights ,movement first attempted to march from ,selma to ,montgomery on ,bloody ,sunday in protest against the denial of their right to vote1 and were brutally assaulted by ,alabama state troopers4 7#b7 ,beginning in #aifd1 members of the ,student ,nonviolent ,coordinating ,committee attempted to register ,african-,americans to vote throughout the state of ,alabama4 7#c7 ,these efforts were designed to ensure that every ,american citizen would be able to exercise their constitutional right to vote and have their voices heard4 7#d7 ,by ,december of #aifd1 many of these efforts remained unsuccessful4 ,dr4 ,martin ,luther ,king1 ,jr41 working with leaders from the ,student ,nonviolent ,coordinating ,committee and the ,southern ,christian ,leadership ,conference1 began to organize protests throughout ,alabama4 7#e7 ,on ,march #g1 #aife1 over #ejj voting rights marchers known as ,foot ,soldiers gathered on the ,edmund ,pettus ,bridge in ,selma1 ,alabama in peaceful protest of the denial of their most sacred and constitutionally protected right--the right to vote4 7#f7 ,led by ,john ,lewis of the ,student ,nonviolent ,coordinating ,committee and ,rev4 ,hosea ,williams of the ,southern ,christian ,leadership ,conference1 these ,foot ,soldiers began the march towards the ,alabama ,state ,capitol in ,montgomery1 ,alabama4 7#g7 ,as the ,foot ,soldiers crossed the ,edmund ,pettus ,bridge1 they were confronted by a wall of ,alabama state troopers who brutally attacked and beat them4 7#h7 ,americans across the country witnessed this tragic turn of events as news stations broadcasted the brutality on a day that would be later known as ,bloody ,sunday4 7#i7 ,two days later on ,tuesday1 ,march #i1 #aife1 nearly #b1ejj ,foot ,soldiers led by ,dr4 ,martin ,luther ,king risked their lives once more and attempted a second peaceful march starting at the ,edmund ,pettus ,bridge4 ,this second attempted march was later known as ,turnaround ,tuesday4 7#aj7 ,fearing for the safety of these ,foot ,soldiers who received no protection from federal or state authorities during this second march1 ,dr4 ,king led the marchers to the base of the ,edmund ,pettus ,bridge and stopped4 ,dr4 ,king kneeled and offered a prayer of solidarity and walked back to the church4 7#aa7 ,president ,lyndon ,b4 ,johnson1 inspired by the bravery and determination of these ,foot ,soldiers and the atrocities they endured1 announced his plan for a voting rights bill aimed at securing the precious right to vote for all citizens during an address to ,congress on ,march #ae1 #aife4 7#ab7 ,on ,march #ag1 #aife1 one week after ,turnaround ,tuesday1 ,u4,s4 ,district ,judge ,frank ,m4 ,johnson ruled the ,foot ,soldiers had a ,first ,amendment right to petition the government through peaceful protest1 and ordered federal agents to provide full protection to the ,foot ,soldiers during the ,selma to ,montgomery ,voting ,rights ,march4 7#ac7 ,judge ,johnson's decision overturned ,alabama ,governor ,george ,wallace's prohibition on the protest due to public safety concerns4 7#ad7 ,on ,march #ba1 #aife1 under the court order1 the ,u4,s4 ,army1 the federalized ,alabama ,national ,guard1 and countless federal agents and marshals escorted nearly #h1jjj ,foot ,soldiers from the start of their heroic journey in ,selma1 ,alabama to their safe arrival on the steps of the ,alabama ,state ,capitol ,building on ,march #be1 #aife4 7#ae7 ,the extraordinary bravery and sacrifice these ,foot ,soldiers displayed in pursuit of a peaceful march from ,selma to ,montgomery brought national attention to the struggle for equal voting rights1 and served as the catalyst for ,congress to pass the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife1 which ,president ,johnson signed into law on ,august #f1 #aife4 7#af7 ,to commemorate the #ejth anniversary of the ,voting ,rights ,movement and the passage of the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife1 it is befitting that ,congress bestow the highest civilian honor1 the ,congressional ,gold ,medal1 in #bjae1 to the ,foot ,soldiers who participated in ,bloody ,sunday1 ,turnaround ,tuesday or the final ,selma to ,montgomery ,voting ,rights ,march during ,march of #aife1 which served as a catalyst for the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife4 #b4 ,congressional ,gold ,medal 7a7 ,presentation authorized ,the ,speaker of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,president ,pro ,tempore of the ,senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation1 on behalf of ,congress1 of a gold medal of appropriate design to the ,foot ,soldiers who participated in ,bloody ,sunday1 ,turnaround ,tuesday1 or the final ,selma to ,montgomery ,voting ,rights ,march during ,march of #aife1 which served as a catalyst for the ,voting ,rights ,act of #aife4 7b7 ,design and striking ,for purposes of the presentation referred to in subsection 7a71 the ,secretary of the ,treasury 7referred to in this ,act as the ,secretary7 shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems1 devices1 and inscriptions to be determined by the ,secretary4 7c7 ,award of medal ,following the award of the gold medal described in subsection 7a71 the medal shall be given to the ,selma ,interpretative ,center in ,selma1 ,alabama1 where it shall be available for display or temporary loan to be displayed elsewhere1 as appropriate4 #c4 ,duplicate medals ,the ,secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section #b under such regulations as the ,secretary may prescribe1 at a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof1 including labor1 materials1 dies1 use of machinery1 and overhead expenses1 and the cost of the gold medal4 #d4 ,status of medals 7a7 ,national medals ,the medals struck pursuant to this ,act are national medals for purposes of chapter #ea of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code4 7b7 ,numismatic items ,for purposes of sections #eacd and #eacf of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 all medals struck under this ,act shall be considered to be numismatic items4 ,passed the ,senate ,february #bf1 #bjae4,secretary