Sponsors (4)
I'll give you the short version of this bill.
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Directs Congress to award a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal to African Americans who served with Union forces during the Civil War, requires the Secretary of the Treasury to have a suitably designed gold medal struck, and directs that the gold medal be given to the Smithsonian for display and research with a preference for sites connected to the United States Colored Troops. Authorizes the Mint to produce and sell bronze duplicates to cover production costs, treats the medals as national and numismatic items under federal law, and allows use of the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund to cover medal costs with proceeds from duplicate sales deposited back into that Fund.
Since the Colonial Era, African Americans have served the United States in times of war.
During the Civil War, approximately 200,000 African-American men served in the Union Army and 19,000 African-American men served in the Union Navy.
During the Civil War, African-American women were not allowed to formally enlist as soldiers or sailors, though they served as nurses, cooks, spies, and scouts for the Union Army and the Union Navy.
While African-American men served in the Navy since its establishment, there was resistance to enlisting them to take up arms for the Union Army at the start of the Civil War.
As the Civil War continued, President Lincoln changed his administration's policy and determined that liberating enslaved persons "was a military necessity absolutely essential for the salvation of the Union."
Who is affected and how:
African American Civil War servicemembers (posthumous honorees) and their descendants: receive formal national recognition through a Congressional Gold Medal presented on their behalf; descendants and communities gain a durable commemorative object and potential educational displays.
Smithsonian Institution and public museums: receive the gold medal for preservation, display, and research; the Smithsonian is encouraged to exhibit it at sites connected to the United States Colored Troops, increasing public access and educational opportunities.
U.S. Department of the Treasury and U.S. Mint: responsible for designing, striking, and (for bronze duplicates) selling medals; the Mint bears production responsibility and uses its Public Enterprise Fund to cover costs and receive proceeds.
General public and historians/researchers: benefit from the medal's display and from increased opportunities for research and public education about African American service in the Civil War.
Federal budget/finance: minimal direct impact on the Treasury’s general fund because costs are drawn from the Mint Public Enterprise Fund and duplicate sales are required to cover production expenses; no new appropriations or mandate to other levels of government are specified.
Practical implications:
The law formalizes an act of national recognition and creates a physical artifact for display and study.
Administrative tasks fall to federal agencies (Treasury/Mint, Smithsonian) but the bill limits net fiscal exposure by requiring duplicate sales to cover their costs and by using the Mint’s existing fund.
No benefit changes, regulatory obligations for states/localities, or policy changes to veteran benefits are enacted; the impact is symbolic, educational, and administrative rather than programmatic.
Expand sections to see detailed analysis
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Introduced February 10, 2025 by Cory Anthony Booker · Last progress February 10, 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Introduced in Senate