,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #fidd ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,may #ai1 #bjbj,mr4 ,lowenthal 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,kennedy1 ,mr4 ,sean ,patrick ,maloney of ,new ,york1 ,mrs4 ,carolyn ,b4 ,maloney of ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,mr4 ,mc,nerney1 ,mrs4 ,napolitano1 ,mr4 ,yarmuth1 ,ms4 ,shalala1 ,mr4 ,correa1 ,mr4 ,levin of ,california1 ,mr4 ,costa1 ,mr4 ,cox of ,california1 ,ms4 ,lofgren1 ,ms4 ,lee of ,california1 ,mr4 ,vargas1 and ,ms4 ,jayapal7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,financial ,services ,a ,,bill ,to award a ,congressional ,gold ,medal to ,billie ,jean ,king1 in recognition of her contribution to the ,nation and her courageous and groundbreaking leadership advancing equal rights for women and the ,,lgbtq community in athletics1 education1 and our society4 #a4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,billie ,jean ,king1 born ,billie ,jean ,moffit1 on ,november #bb1 #aidc1 in ,long ,beach1 ,california1 was the first child of ,betty 7ne ,jerman7 and ,bill ,moffitt4 7#b7 ,billie ,jean demonstrated athletic prowess from a young age4 ,she was introduced to tennis at the age of #aa1 and soon after1 ,billie ,jean purchased her first tennis racket using money she earned working various jobs in her neighborhood4 7#c7 ,after becoming involved with tennis1 ,billie ,jean observed inequities within the sport and realized she could use tennis as a platform--if she became number one4 ,from then on1 ,billie ,jean was determined to become a top athlete in her sport4 7#d7 ,billie ,jean broke numerous barriers to become a number one professional tennis player4 ,she dominated women's tennis with #ci ,grand ,slam singles1 doubles1 and mixed doubles titles1 including a record #bj championships at ,wimbledon4 ,she also was a member of three ,world ,team,tennis championship teams4 7#e7 ,after growing in prominence1 ,billie ,jean used her platform as a celebrity to fight for equal rights and opportunities for equality for all genders in sports--and society--in the ,united ,states4 7#f7 ,billie ,jean played an instrumental role in the passage of ,title ,,ix1 a law that mandates equal funding for women's and men's sports programs in schools and colleges4 ,this legislation has unlocked a world of opportunities for girls and women in education and sports4 7#g7 ,during ,billie ,jean's career1 the pay difference between prize money for men and women in tennis continued to expand4 ,by the early #aigjs1 the pay gap in prize money reached ratios of as much as #ab to one4 ,fewer and fewer tournaments were hosting women's events4 ,realizing that she would not have support from mainstream tennis organizations1 ,billie ,jean harnessed the energy of the women's rights movement to create a women's tennis tour that would elevate women's tennis and establish pay equity within the sport4 ,along with eight other women tennis players1 ,billie ,jean risked it all and formed an independent women's professional tennis circuit1 the ,virginia ,slims ,tournament1 and a player's union that would help achieve greater equality in prize money and recognition for women in sports4 7#h7 ,in #aiga1 ,billie ,jean became the first woman in sports history to make #ajj1jjj in earnings in a single year4 7#i7 ,in #aigb1 ,billie ,jean was also the first tennis player to be named ,sports ,illustrated's ,sportsperson of the ,year and the first woman to receive the honor4 7#aj7 ,billie ,jean founded the ,women's ,tennis ,association1 a successor to the ,virginia ,slims ,series1 and today's principal governing body for women's professional tennis4 7#aa7 ,billie ,jean helped found women,sports magazine and founded the ,women's ,sports ,foundation4 ,both have been at the forefront of advancing women's voice in sports4 7#ab7 ,in #aigc1 ,billie ,jean played a tennis match against ,bobby ,riggs1 a top-ranked player through the #aidjs who sought to undermine the credibility and prominence of women in sports4 ,billie ,jean defeated ,riggs in what became a firm declaration of women's role in sports and society4 7#ac7 ,billie ,jean was one of the first women athletes to identify as lesbian1 and has courageously challenged negative stereotypes and championed the visibility and inclusion of the ,,lgbtq community4 7#ad7 ,billie ,jean ,king was named one of the #ajj ,most ,important ,americans of the #bjth ,century by ,,life magazine4 7#ae7 ,billie ,jean ,king is the recipient of the #aiii ,arthur ,ashe ,award for ,courage4 7#af7 ,billie ,jean's excellence has earned her place in the ,international ,women's ,sports ,hall of ,fame1 the ,international ,tennis ,hall of ,fame1 and the ,national ,women's ,hall of ,fame4 7#ag7 ,in #bjjf1 the ,united ,states ,tennis ,association recognized ,billie ,jean's immeasurable impact on the sport of tennis by renaming the site of the ,,us ,open in her honor as the ,,usta ,billie ,jean ,king ,national ,tennis ,center1 which is located in ,flushing ,meadows ,corona ,park in ,queens1 ,new ,york4 ,this was the first time a major sporting complex was named after a woman4 7#ah7 ,billie ,jean ,king has received honorary degrees from colleges and universities across the ,nation1 including the ,university of ,pennsylvania1 ,dartmouth ,college1 the ,university of ,massachusetts ,amherst1 and ,northwestern ,university1 amongst others4 7#ai7 ,billie ,jean's commitment and tireless advocacy to expand women's tennis1 created groundbreaking opportunities1 financial and otherwise1 for women not only in tennis but across women's sports4 ,she has paved the way for others1 including today's famed tennis champion duo1 sisters ,venus and ,serena ,williams4 7#bj7 ,billie ,jean believes in changing hearts and minds1 and through her talent1 tenacity1 and advocacy she changed how women are perceived worldwide4 7#ba7 ,in #bjji1 ,billie ,jean was awarded the ,presidential ,medal of ,freedom1 the ,nation's highest civilian honor1 by ,president ,barack ,obama for her impactful work advocating for the rights of women and the ,,lgbtq community4 ,she was the first female athlete to receive this honor4 7#bb7 ,in #bjad1 ,billie ,jean ,king founded an inclusive leadership non-profit organization to promote and transform equality in the workplace worldwide4 ,the ,billie ,jean ,king ,leadership ,initiative aims to empower companies and individuals to create inclusive work environments that celebrate and promote diversity to increase representation1 maximize our efficiency1 and tap into the unlimited potential of talent in our world4 7#bc7 ,billie ,jean ,king's extraordinary courage1 leadership1 and activism helped propel the women's movement forward1 and open doors for countless ,americans regardless of gender1 race1 class or sexual orientation4 ,on and off the court1 ,billie ,jean has served as an inspiration to millions of people the world over4 ,few women and men have had a greater impact on their sport and on our society than ,billie ,jean ,king4 #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 design1 to ,billie ,jean ,king1 in recognition of her contribution to the ,nation and her courageous and groundbreaking leadership advancing equal rights for women and the ,,lgbtq community in athletics1 education1 and our society4 7b7 ,design and striking ,for the purpose of the presentation referred to in subsection 7a71 the ,secretary of the ,treasury 7hereinafter in this ,act referred to as the ,secretary7 shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems1 devices1 and inscriptions to be determined by the ,secretary4 #c4 ,duplicate medals ,under such regulations as the ,secretary may prescribe1 the ,secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section #b at a price sufficient to cover the cost of the bronze medals 7including labor1 materials1 dies1 use of machinery1 and overhead expenses7 and the cost of the gold medal4 #d4 ,national medals ,the medals struck under this ,act are national medals for purposes of chapter #ea of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code4