Sponsors (4)
The bill keeps the Congressional Award Board operating and preserves past Board actions while simplifying medal procurement, trading modest additional taxpayer costs and reduced statutory constraints (which may limit legal recourse and predictability) for administrative continuity and flexibility.
Students and youth participants: the Congressional Award Board is reauthorized to operate through Oct 1, 2028, ensuring the program can continue recognizing and administering awards.
Students, nonprofits, and program partners: a retroactive effective date preserves legal continuity for awards, contracts, and grants made since Oct 1, 2023, avoiding uncertainty or disruption of Board actions.
Federal officials and procurement staff: gives the Board and Treasury clearer authority and flexibility to set medal materials and manufacturing methods, simplifying and speeding procurement/contracting for Congressional Award medals.
Nonprofits and students: the retroactive effect could limit legal challenges or other recourse for parties who might have contested Board actions taken since Oct 1, 2023.
Taxpayers: extending the Board's statutory existence through 2028 continues modest federal administrative costs paid from federal funds.
Taxpayers: allowing flexibility in medal materials and methods could lead to slightly higher production costs if more expensive materials or processes are chosen.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Extends the Congressional Award Board's termination to Oct 1, 2028 (retroactive to Oct 1, 2023) and removes a statutory constraint on medal composition, effective on enactment.
Official title: To reauthorize the Congressional Award Act.
Introduced January 31, 2025 by Richard Hudson · Last progress January 31, 2025
Extends the statutory life of the Congressional Award Board by five years, changing the Board’s termination date from October 1, 2023 to October 1, 2028 and making that change effective retroactively to October 1, 2023. It also removes a statutory restriction on the specified metal composition of the Congressional Award medals, giving the Board and the Secretary of the Treasury more flexibility in striking medals; the medal composition change takes effect on enactment.