S645-119

What This Bill Does

The North Platte Canteen Congressional Gold Medal Act recognizes the individuals and communities that volunteered or donated items to the North Platte Canteen in North Platte, Nebraska, during World War II. Congress makes findings that the canteen was one of the largest home-front volunteer efforts of the war, served about 6,000,000 U.S. troops from December 25, 1941, to April 1, 1946, and drew 55,000 volunteers, mostly women, from 125 communities in Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas. The findings describe the canteen's origin after local residents greeted a Kansas National Guard train, Rae Wilson's proposal to create the canteen, service to as many as 24 troop trains per day, large donated food volumes, $137,000 in cash contributions, operation at the Union Pacific Railroad station without federal assistance, the United States Army's Meritorious Wartime Service Award in 1943, and the 108th Congress's later resolution recognizing the canteen.

The bill directs the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange the presentation of one Congressional Gold Medal on behalf of Congress to the volunteers and donor communities. The Secretary of the Treasury must strike the gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions chosen by the Secretary. After presentation, the medal must be given to the Lincoln County Historical Museum in North Platte, Nebraska, where it will be available for display and research. The Secretary may also strike and sell duplicate bronze medals at prices sufficient to cover labor, materials, dies, machinery, and overhead costs. The medals are treated as national medals and numismatic items under title 31. The United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund may be charged for medal production costs, and proceeds from duplicate bronze medal sales must be deposited back into that fund.

Who Benefits and How

North Platte Canteen volunteers, donor communities, and their historical legacy benefit because the bill gives them Congress's highest civilian commemorative medal and creates a permanent federal recognition of their World War II home-front service. The Lincoln County Historical Museum benefits because it receives custody of the medal and gains a federally recognized artifact for public display and research. Researchers, students, public historians, Nebraska communities, Colorado communities, Kansas communities, and families connected to canteen volunteers benefit from a medal and findings that document the canteen's scale, service to troops, volunteer labor, donated food, fundraising, and military recognition. Collectors and members of the public who want a bronze version benefit because the Treasury Secretary may sell duplicates.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Secretary of the Treasury and the United States Mint bear the main administrative burden because they must design, strike, price, sell, and account for the gold medal and any duplicate bronze medals. Congressional leadership offices must arrange the award presentation. The United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund bears production costs for the medals, although it also receives proceeds from duplicate bronze medal sales. Duplicate-medal buyers pay purchase costs set high enough to cover labor, materials, dies, machinery, overhead, and related production expenses.

Key Provisions

• Provides a Congressional Gold Medal to the individuals and communities that volunteered or donated items to the North Platte Canteen during World War II.
• Directs the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange the medal presentation and directs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike the gold medal.
• Provides that the gold medal goes to the Lincoln County Historical Museum in North Platte, Nebraska, for display and research after presentation.
• Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicate bronze medals at prices sufficient to cover labor, materials, dies, machinery, and overhead costs.
• Provides national-medal and numismatic-item status under title 31 and uses the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund for medal costs and duplicate-medal sale receipts.