,i  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ieje  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #bi1 #bjbf,mr4 
,babin introduced the following bill2   
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,financial ,services  ,a ,,bill  ,to    
award posthumously a ,congressional     
,gold ,medal to ,bonnie ,eloise ,rush   
,milam in recognition of her            
distinguished service to the ,united    
,states ,armed ,forces through the      
,melody ,maids and her lifelong         
contributions to patriotism1 music      
education1 and the leadership           
development of young women in the       
,united ,states4  #a4 ,short title ,this
 ,act may be cited as the ,bonnie       
,eloise ,rush ,milam ,congressional     
,gold ,medal ,act of #bjbf4  #b4        
,findings ,the ,congress finds the      
following3 7#a7 ,bonnie ,eloise ,rush   
,milam1 born in #aijh in ,anahuac1      
,texas1 was a music educator who founded
 the ,melody ,maids1 an all-girls       
singing group1 in ,beaumont1 ,texas1 in 

#aidb during ,world ,war ,,ii4  7#b7    
,the ,melody ,maids began with a        
performance at a war bond rally and     
quickly expanded to support ,united     
,states military morale1 performing at  
bases1 hospitals1 and veterans' events  
across the ,united ,states and overseas1
 including four tours to ,europe and the
 ,united ,kingdom1 seven tours to       
,nordic countries such as ,greenland and
 ,iceland1 seven tours to ,hawaii1 three
 tours to ,asia1 five tours to ,mexico1 
and tours to four locations in the      
,caribbean4  7#c7 ,under the leadership 
of ,mrs4 ,milam1 the ,melody ,maids     
provided entertainment and comfort to   
service members during ,world ,war ,,ii1
 the ,korean ,war1 and the ,vietnam     
,war1 earning recognition as the most   
requested performers under the          
,department of ,defense ,entertainment  
,branch after #aief4  7#d7 ,mrs4 ,milam 
instilled in approximately #a1ejj young 
women who served as ,melody ,maids the  
values of morals1 manners1 and music1   

emphasizing professionalism1 discipline1
 and service through a code of conduct  
known as the ,melody ,maid ,bible4  7#e7
 ,in addition to military support1 ,mrs4
 ,milam composed ,song ,saga of         
,spindletop in #aiea to commemorate the 
#ejth anniversary of the ,lucas ,gusher1
 celebrating ,texas oil heritage1 which 
was performed nationally4  7#f7 ,the    
contributions of ,mrs4 ,milam were      
recognized with the ,american ,legion   
,distinguished ,service ,award 7#aifa71 
designation as the first female         
,honorary ,texas ,ranger1 and the       
,daughters of the ,american ,revolution 
,medal of ,honor 7#aiha74  7#g7 ,the    
legacy of ,mrs4 ,milam and the ,melody  
,maids continues through the ,melody    
,maid ,foundation scholarship at ,lamar 
,university and preserved memorabilia at
 the ,tyrrell ,historical ,library in   
,beaumont1 ,texas4  7#h7 ,mrs4 ,milam   
passed away on ,october #c1 #bjjh1 at   
the age of #ajj4  #c4 ,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        
posthumous presentation1 on behalf of   
the ,congress1 of a gold medal of       
appropriate design in commemoration of  
,bonnie ,eloise ,rush ,milam1 in        
recognition of her distinguished service
 to the ,united ,states ,armed ,forces  
through the ,melody ,maids and her      
lifelong contributions to patriotism1   
music education1 and the leadership     
development of young women in the       
,united ,states4  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     
inscriptions1 to be determined by the   
,secretary4  7c7 ,disposition of medal  
,following the presentation of the gold 
medal under subsection 7a71 the gold    

medal shall be given to the ,tyrrell    
,historical ,library in ,beaumont1      
,texas1 where the medal shall be        
available for display as appropriate and
 made available for research4  #d4      
,duplicate medals ,the ,secretary may   
strike and sell duplicates in bronze of 
the gold medal struck pursuant to       
section #c 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 expenses4  #e4 
,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  #f4 ,authority to use fund      
amounts2 proceeds of sale  7a7          
,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 ,act4    
7b7 ,proceeds of sale ,amounts received 
from the sale of duplicate bronze medals
 authorized under this ,act shall be    
deposited into the ,united ,states ,mint
 ,public ,enterprise ,fund4