This bill keeps the Congressional Award Program going for teens and young adults through 2028. The program encourages community service, personal growth, and outdoor activity, and gives medals to recognize those efforts. The extension is made retroactive so there’s no gap in the program, as if it had been continued starting October 1, 2023. It also updates the rules about the medals themselves by removing strict requirements about what metals they must be made from, giving the program more flexibility.

Key points

• Who is affected: Youth who take part in the Congressional Award Program, and the board that runs it.
• What changes: The program is officially continued through 2028, and medal material rules are loosened .
• When: The extension applies as if it began on October 1, 2023, preventing any lapse in the program.