Sarah Keys Evans Congressional Gold Medal Act

This bill would honor Sarah Keys Evans with a Congressional Gold Medal for her role in ending segregation on interstate buses. In the 1950s, after she refused to give up her seat, her case led federal regulators to rule that bus companies could not segregate passengers by race across state lines .

If passed, the Treasury Department would design the gold medal. Bronze copies could be made and sold to cover costs. The medals would count as national medals and as collector items under federal coin laws.

• Who is honored: Sarah Keys Evans, a civil rights pioneer whose case helped desegregate interstate buses.
• What changes: Congress would award her a Gold Medal; bronze duplicates could be sold to pay for production; the medals are officially recognized as national and collectible items.
• Why it matters: It formally recognizes her courage and the impact of her case on civil rights and public transportation.