H.R. 5521

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5521 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5521

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Peace Corps volunteers, in 
recognition of their outstanding accomplishments, continuous dedication 
to world peace and friendship, and their honorable service to the 
Nation for 65 years.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 19, 2025

Ms. McCollum (for herself, Mr. Rutherford, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Bergman, 
and Mr. Landsman) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Peace Corps volunteers, in 
recognition of their outstanding accomplishments, continuous dedication 
to world peace and friendship, and their honorable service to the 
Nation for 65 years.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Peace Corps Volunteers Congressional 
Gold Medal Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS RELATED TO RECOGNITION OF PEACE 
CORPS VOLUNTEERS.

(a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
(1) In 2026, our Nation celebrates the 65th anniversary of 
the establishment of the Peace Corps, one of the most 
beneficial and celebrated international assistance programs in 
the world.
(2) Nearly 250,000 Peace Corps Volunteers (in this section 
referred to as the ``Volunteers'') have served our Nation with 
distinction. Volunteers have been integral in promoting world 
peace and friendship in more than 140 countries around the 
globe. Their expertise in a wide variety of sectors, including 
agriculture, community economic development, education, 
environment, health, and youth in development, has contributed 
significantly to the needs of foreign countries on many levels.
(3) The Congressional Gold Medal is intended to honor those 
Volunteers who served between August 28, 1961, when the first 
Volunteers departed from the United States for Ghana, and 
December 31, 2026.
(4) President John F. Kennedy expressed his call to service 
for Americans during his inaugural address on January 20, 1961, 
when he said, ``And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your 
country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. 
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do 
for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.''.
(5) On March 1, 1961, President Kennedy signed Executive 
Order 10924 (26 Fed. Reg. 1789) establishing the Peace Corps. 
At a State Department press conference after signing the 
Executive order, President Kennedy said, ``We will send those 
abroad who are committed to the concept which motivates the 
Peace Corps. It will not be easy. None of the men and women 
will be paid a salary. They will live at the same level as the 
citizens of the country which they are sent to, doing the same 
work, eating the same food, speaking the same language. We are 
going to put particular emphasis on those men and women who 
have skills in teaching, agriculture, and in health. I am 
hopeful it will be a source of satisfaction to Americans and a 
contribution to world peace.''.
(6) When President Kennedy signed the Peace Corps Act (22 
U.S.C. 2501 et seq.) on September 22, 1961, providing the 
legislative foundation for the Peace Corps, the White House 
released a statement saying, ``With the enactment of this 
legislation, an avenue is provided by which Americans can serve 
their country in the cause of world peace and understanding and 
simultaneously assist other nations toward their legitimate 
goals of freedom and opportunity.''.
(7) Individuals across our Nation were inspired to serve as 
Volunteers supported by the leadership and vision of Sargent 
Shriver, who served as the first Director of the Peace Corps 
from 1961 to 1966. The Volunteers shared his vision, which 
became the mission of the Peace Corps: ``To promote world peace 
and friendship through community-based development and 
intercultural understanding.''. Volunteers were strongly 
encouraged to respect local customs, learn the prevailing 
language, and live in comparable conditions.
(8) Volunteers' service is guided by the 3 goals of the 
Peace Corps:
(A) ``To help the countries interested in meeting 
their need for trained people.''. Volunteers exchange 
skills and knowledge with community members in their 
welcoming host countries to help create sustainable 
change through work in the sectors described in 
paragraph (2).
(B) ``To help promote a better understanding of 
Americans on the part of the peoples served.''. Through 
their service, Volunteers share the United States and 
its values. Their outstanding contributions to the 
nations of the world help promote cultural 
understanding.
(C) ``To help promote a better understanding of 
other peoples on the part of Americans.''. Volunteers 
immerse themselves in local cultures, and learn about 
opportunities, resources, and people in their host 
countries. When they return to the United States, they 
share their experiences with family, friends, and the 
public, which helps promote cultural understanding, 
volunteerism, and public service.
(9) During a Rose Garden ceremony at the White House on 
April 23, 1985, accompanied by Vice President George H.W. Bush 
and Peace Corps Director Loret Miller Ruppe, President Ronald 
Reagan wished Volunteers success for their assignments in 
Africa, saying, ``Soon you'll be in Africa, where you'll be a 
vital part of the relief aid to help the millions suffering 
from malnutrition and starvation. You'll be living in some of 
the most impoverished countries of the world, working in food 
production, soil conservation, fisheries production, forest 
preservation, and water supply development. By bringing your 
training and skills to bear on the underlying problems of 
agricultural and economic development, you can help your host 
nations make the difficult but vital journey from dependence on 
short-term aid to self-sufficiency. Vice President Bush 
returned from his trip to the famine-stricken regions of 
Africa, he gave me a personal account of the heartbreaking 
conditions in that land. While there, he visited one Peace 
Corps project, and he told me of the outstanding work of the 
Peace Corps volunteers. The crisis in Africa is severe and the 
problems deeply rooted, but relief efforts are already making a 
great difference.''.
(10) Peace Corps senior leaders, staff, and Volunteers have 
honored President Kennedy's vision for the Peace Corps and his 
legacy. During a March 1, 1996, speech for the 35th anniversary 
of the Peace Corps, Sargent Shriver said, ``The Peace Corps 
represents some, if not all, of the best virtues in this 
society. It stands for everything that America has ever stood 
for. It stands for everything we believe in and hope to achieve 
in the world.''.
(11) The Peace Corps, since its pioneering creation by 
President Kennedy and an ensuing 65 years of support by the 
Federal Government, has proven to be one of the most successful 
United States foreign policy programs in the history of our 
Nation. The importance of the Peace Corps was reinforced in a 
May 24, 2017, opinion article by General Colin Powell, retired 
Secretary of State, when he said, ``Indeed, we're strongest 
when the face of America isn't only a soldier carrying a gun 
but a diplomat negotiating peace, a Peace Corps Volunteer 
bringing clean water to a village, or a relief worker stepping 
off a cargo plane as floodwaters rise.''.
(12) The global accomplishments of Volunteers toward world 
peace and friendship and their resolute service to the United 
States are deserving of robust public recognition and respect. 
As President Kennedy said, after signing Executive Order 10924 
(26 Fed. Reg. 1789) creating the Peace Corps, ``The initial 
reactions to the Peace Corps proposal are convincing proof that 
we have, in this country, an immense reservoir of such men and 
women--anxious to sacrifice their energies and time and toil to 
the cause of world peace and human progress.''.
(13) Some Volunteers made the ultimate sacrifice while in 
service. According to the Fallen Peace Corps Volunteers 
Memorial Project, more than 300 Volunteers have died in 
service, or following close of service as a result of service-
related causes, since the Peace Corps began in 1961. Their 
significant sacrifices and service to our Nation and their host 
countries should be honored with reverence.
(14) During the COVID-19 pandemic, over 7,000 Volunteers 
were recalled from their work in host countries. Though they 
were evacuated for health reasons from their assigned projects, 
they continued to volunteer when they returned to the United 
States to support the national response to a global health 
crisis. Former Peace Corps Director, Josephine (Jody) Olsen, 
who supervised the complex and immediate recall process, wrote, 
``Odysseys by individual Peace Corps Volunteers forged over six 
decades made the total evacuation of seven thousand Volunteers 
due of Covid-19 in 2020 possible. As I sent out the immediate 
evacuation order on March 15, I trusted that in sixty-one 
countries, the thousands of host country families, teachers, 
clinic directors, local taxi drivers, community security 
officers, airlines, and medical officials that support 
Volunteers would selflessly offer their help. These thousands 
shared painful good-byes and supported the safe movement of all 
of the volunteers to capital cities, international airports, 
charter flights to the US over the course of nine days without 
illness or accident.''. When Volunteers returned to the United 
States, many shifted their work to support domestic 
initiatives, including COVID-19 surveillance and health 
programs in collaboration with the Environmental Protection 
Agency. The EPA connected Volunteers who returned to the United 
States with roles in public health for pandemic response 
efforts in the United States. Meanwhile, the Peace Corps 
launched the Virtual Service Pilot, allowing Volunteers who 
returned to the United States and other United States citizens 
to work remotely with international partners on community 
projects across sectors like health, education, and 
agriculture. The Virtual Service Pilot expanded rapidly, 
demonstrating the potential for virtual service to complement 
traditional Peace Corps work, providing flexible opportunities 
for such Volunteers to contribute globally from home.
(15) Returned Volunteers promote a better understanding of 
other peoples and cultures when they share their experiences 
and knowledge about their service overseas with Americans at 
home, the third goal of the Peace Corps described in paragraph 
8(C). With regard to the third goal, the Peace Corps' 
Congressional Budget Justification for Fiscal Year 2026 states 
that by increasing mutual understanding and lasting ties 
between the people of the United States and other countries, 
the Peace Corps helps create better trading partners, 
strengthens relationships with allies, inhibits extremism, and 
counteracts the growing influence of America's adversaries. 
Volunteers strengthen U.S. national security through improved 
relations with host governments and by showcasing America as an 
international leader. The agency also helps cultivate the next 
generation of U.S. civic and business leaders. Volunteers 
return home and, for long after the conclusion of their 
service, contribute the adaptive leadership and entrepreneurial 
skills they gained during service to American communities.
(16) On December 6, 1987, about 120,000 Volunteers and 
Peace Corps staff received the Beyond War Award. The 
inscription on the poster for the recipients of the award 
reads, ``Presented to the 120,000 Current and Returned 
Volunteers of the Peace Corps `to learn peace, to live peace, 
and to labor for peace, from the beginning of their service to 
the end of their lives.' A Peace Corps mission statement.''.
(17) Members of the 107th Congress nominated the Peace 
Corps for the Nobel Peace Prize. In a June 27, 2002, letter to 
the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, 10 members of the 107th 
Congress signed the letter saying, ``The impact of Volunteers 
on international peace through understanding and cooperation 
goes far beyond development projects. Volunteers bring people 
and cultures together. They share ideas and ideals of their 
home community, but they also learn to speak the language, eat 
the food, sing the songs, and incorporate the qualities of 
their host communities into their own lives. They travel 
overseas to represent the United States, and they return home 
to represent the world within the United States. The central 
mission of all Volunteers, both overseas and after they return 
home, is peace. The Peace Corps and the community of Returned 
Peace Corps Volunteers, represented by the National Peace Corps 
Association, create the climate, the conditions, the momentum, 
and the spirit of peace that is needed all over the world. For 
this reason, they deserve the Nobel Peace Prize.''.
(18) In February 2011, Members of the 112th Congress 
recommended to President Barack Obama that the Peace Corps 
should be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. The letter to 
President Obama, authored by Congressman Sam Farr, said, ``For 
a half-century Peace Corps has served as a vehicle of peace and 
hope for impoverished communities around the world. Now more 
than ever, as the world suffers from divisive transnational 
conflicts and escalating threats, Peace Corps continues to 
stand as an unparalleled beacon of peace and optimism. 
Bestowing the Peace Corps with the Nobel Peace Prize will 
undoubtedly work to promote volunteerism and inspire the next 
generation of Americans to be peaceful stewards of both their 
country and the world.''.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the Volunteers should be acknowledged and thanked 
publicly for their service to the United States and their host 
countries whenever the appropriate occasions arise. Retired 
United States Navy Admiral James Stavridis, former North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization Supreme Allied Commander, said, 
``What someone brings when they come back from typically two 
years [of Peace Corps service] is just a remarkable sense of 
our nation and a remarkable sense of the world, and really a . 
. . stronger sense of themselves and being part of those bigger 
things. As a retired military guy . . . people constantly come 
up to me and say, `Admiral, thank you for your service.' And it 
means a lot to me. It means a lot to every veteran to hear 
that. So whenever I do an interview where I have a chance to, I 
say to Peace Corps Volunteers, `Thank you for your service.''';
(2) the people of the United States are grateful and 
indebted to Volunteers for their excellence in numerous 
professional fields, their essential and dedicated 
contributions to communities of their host countries, their 
effective means of communicating the American spirit of peace 
and friendship, and for their sharing of their experiences 
overseas with individuals in the United States;
(3) on behalf of the United States, Congress expresses the 
highest public gratitude for the distinguished contributions of 
Volunteers for 65 years. The Congressional Gold Medal is an 
appropriate award to recognize the outstanding achievements of 
Volunteers for their valued service to the United States, and 
their role in promoting world peace and friendship, as a 
significant component of United States foreign policy; and
(4) the production of the gold medal be expedited so that 
the medal can be presented to the Peace Corps at a respectful 
ceremony, either at the Capitol Rotunda or at another suitable 
location, not later than September 22, 2026.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

(a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make 
appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of the 
Congress, of a single gold medal of appropriate design in commemoration 
to the Director of the Peace Corps in the District of Columbia, in 
recognition of the Peace Corps volunteers and their dedicated and 
distinguished service to our Nation and promotion of world peace and 
friendship.
(b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation 
described in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (in this Act 
referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with 
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the 
Secretary.
(c) The Peace Corps.--
(1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal 
under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the 
Peace Corps headquarters, where it shall be available for 
display as appropriate and made available for research.
(2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
the Director of the Peace Corps should make the gold medal, 
awarded pursuant to this Act, available for display elsewhere, 
particularly at appropriate locations associated with Peace 
Corps volunteers and that preference should be given to 
locations affiliated with the Peace Corps.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medal struck pursuant to section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the 
costs of the bronze medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of 
machinery, and overhead expenses.

SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

(a) National Medals.--The medals struck pursuant to this Act are 
national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States 
Code.
(b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of 
title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be 
considered to be numismatic items.

SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

(a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be 
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund such 
amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck 
pursuant to this Act.
(b) Proceeds of Sales.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate 
bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the 
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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