H.R. 5537 — Introduced in House

I 116th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5537 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 23, 2019Mr. Watkins 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 Conan, the military working dog of the United States Special Operations Forces. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Conan Commemorative Coin Act. 2. Findings Congress finds that— (1) Conan, a Belgian Malinois, has worked with the United States Special Operations Forces for four years and has taken part in approximately 50 missions; (2) Conan served the United States courageously on October 26, 2019, in northwestern Syria, during a dangerous and daring nighttime raid that resulted in the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the world’s most violent terror organization, ISIS; (3) with skill, determination, and bravery, Conan chased Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi into a dead-end tunnel where the ISIS leader ignited his suicide vest, killing himself and his three children; (4) the heroic actions of Conan were critical to the success of the mission of the United States to kill the world’s most wanted terrorist; (5) Conan sacrificed physical well-being and sustained injuries for the success of the mission and in doing so, not a single American soldier was injured during the operation; and (6) Conan is an American hero that has made the world a better and safer place. 3. Coin specifications (a) Denominations The Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the Secretary) shall mint and issue the following coins in commemoration of Conan, the military working dog of the United States Special Operations Forces: (1) $5 gold coins Not more than 100,000 $5 coins, which shall— (A) weigh 8.359 grams; (B) have a diameter of 0.850 inches; and (C) contain not less than 90 percent gold. (2) $1 silver coins Not more than 350,000 $1 coins, which shall— (A) weigh 26.73 grams; (B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and (C) contain not less than 90 percent silver. (b) Legal tender The coins minted under this Act shall be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United States Code. (c) Numismatic items For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of title 31, United States Code, all coins minted under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items. 4. Design of coins (a) Design requirements (1) In general The design of the coins minted under this Act shall be emblematic of the life and legacy of Conan. (2) Design and inscriptions On each coin minted under this Act there shall be— (A) an image of Conan, based on the photograph of Conan released by President Trump on Twitter on October 28, 2019, at 4:02 p.m.; (B) a designation of the value of the coin; (C) an inscription of the year 2022; and (D) inscriptions of the words Liberty, In God We Trust, United States of America, and E Pluribus Unum. (b) Selection The design for the coins minted under this Act shall be— (1) selected by the Secretary, in consultation with the Commission of Fine Arts; and (2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. 5. Issuance of coins (a) Quality of coins Coins minted under this Act shall be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities. (b) Mint facility Only 1 facility of the United States Mint may be used to strike any particular quality of the coins minted under this Act. (c) Period for issuance The Secretary may issue coins minted under this Act only during the 1-year period beginning on January 1, 2022. 6. Sale of coins (a) Sale price The coins issued under this Act shall be sold by the Secretary at a price equal to the sum of— (1) the face value of the coins; (2) the surcharge provided in section 7(a) with respect to such coins; and (3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins (including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, marketing, and shipping). (b) Bulk sales The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the coins issued under this Act at a reasonable discount. (c) Prepaid orders (1) In general The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders for the coins minted under this Act before the issuance of such coins. (2) Discount Sale prices with respect to prepaid orders under paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount. 7. Surcharges (a) In general All sales of coins issued under this Act shall include a surcharge of— (1) $35 per coin for the $5 coin; and (2) $10 per coin for the $1 coin. (b) Distribution Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, United States Code, all surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of coins issued under this Act shall be transferred to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs where they may be used, without further appropriation, for the purpose of providing additional funds to the service dog veterinary health benefit pursuant to section 1714 of title 38, United States Code, or other similar provisions of law administered by the Secretary. (c) Limitations Notwithstanding subsection (a), no surcharge may be included with respect to the issuance under this Act of any coin during a calendar year if, as of the time of such issuance, the issuance of such coin would result in the number of commemorative coin programs issued during such year to exceed the annual 2 commemorative coin program issuance limitation under section 5112(m)(1) of title 31, United States Code (as in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act). The Secretary of the Treasury may issue guidance to carry out this subsection. (d) Exemptions Paragraphs (1)(A)(ii) and (2) of section 5134(f) of title 31, United States Code, shall not apply to surcharges under this Act.