Sponsors (7)
The bill publicly honors and increases visibility of the United States Colored Troops through a Congressional Gold Medal, Smithsonian display, and publicly available replicas while relying on Mint numismatic mechanisms to avoid new appropriations—but it is symbolic (no compensation), creates modest administrative and financial risks for the Mint/Treasury, and could raise expectations for additional funded actions.
African American Civil War servicemembers (United States Colored Troops) and their descendants receive formal congressional recognition and an awarded Congressional Gold Medal, publicly honoring their service and role in emancipation.
The medal will be placed in the Smithsonian and treated as an official national item, increasing public display, scholarship, and historical education about Black service in the Civil War.
Members of the public can purchase affordable bronze replicas, expanding public access to and personal commemoration of the recognition.
The Congressional Gold Medal is purely symbolic and does not provide any financial compensation or legal benefits to descendants or veterans.
Formal findings and visible recognition may raise public expectations for additional commemorative programs, education funding, or memorials that would increase future federal costs if pursued.
Arranging, striking, curating, and distributing the medal creates a modest administrative burden on Congress, the Treasury, the Smithsonian, and the Mint.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Awards a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal to African Americans who served with Union forces in the Civil War, directs minting, Smithsonian display, and authorizes sale of bronze duplicates.
Official title: To posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the African Americans who served with Union forces during the Civil War, in recognition of their bravery and outstanding service.
Introduced February 6, 2025 by Eleanor Holmes Norton · Last progress February 6, 2025
Creates and directs production of a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal honoring African Americans who served with Union forces during the Civil War, requires the medal be given to the Smithsonian for public display, and allows the U.S. Mint to produce and sell bronze duplicates to recover production costs. It designates the medals as national numismatic items and authorizes the Mint to charge its Public Enterprise Fund for striking costs with proceeds from duplicate sales deposited back into that fund.