S. 567

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 567 Engrossed in Senate (ES)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 567

_______________________________________________________________________

AN ACT

To award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the First Rhode 
Island Regiment, in recognition of their dedicated service during the 
Revolutionary War.

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 ``First Rhode Island Regiment 
Congressional Gold Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) During the winter at Valley Forge, from 1777-1778, the 
Continental Army had difficulty recruiting the necessary quotas 
of men set by the Congress.
(2) At the same time, the State of Rhode Island was ordered 
to supply two battalions while a British force occupied the 
City of Newport.
(3) In January 1778, at the urging of Brigadier General 
James Varnum, General George Washington wrote to Governor 
Nicholas Cooke of the State of Rhode Island requesting 
assistance recruiting men for the Continental Line.
(4) On February 14, 1778, the Rhode Island General Assembly 
voted to allow the enlistment of ``every able-bodied negro, 
mulatto, or Indian man slave''.
(5) In addition, the Rhode Island General Assembly provided 
that any enlisted slave ``upon his passing muster before 
Colonel Christopher Greene, be immediately discharged from the 
service of his master or mistress, and be absolutely free as 
though he had never been encumbered with any kind of servitude 
or slavery''.
(6) As a result, between February 1778 and June 1778, 
Colonel Christopher Greene, Lieutenant Colonel Jeremiah Olney, 
and Major Samuel Ward recruited men of African heritage and 
Indigenous descent who formed the core of the First Rhode 
Island Regiment.
(7) The First Rhode Island Regiment became among the first 
units in American History in which men of every race and 
ethnicity were recruited to serve.
(8) On August 29, 1778, at the Battle of Rhode Island, 
following an attempted siege of British-occupied Newport along 
with the newly allied French fleet, the First Rhode Island 
Regiment acted heroically in holding back Hessian forces and 
causing them to retreat.
(9) During the Battle of Rhode Island, the First Rhode 
Island Regiment's losses included three killed, nine wounded 
and eleven missing soldiers.
(10) Soldiers of color from the First Rhode Island Regiment 
continued to fight bravely to win American independence for 5 
more years in an integrated Rhode Island Regiment that included 
men of African, European, and Indigenous descent.
(11) By early 1784, the last Rhode Island soldiers were 
discharged at Saratoga, New York.
(12) Their commander, Colonel Jeremiah Olney, praised the 
Regiment for ``faithfully preserving in the best of causes, in 
every stage of service, with unexampled fortitude and patience 
through all the danger and toils of a long and severe war''.
(13) Afterwards, some veterans of the First Rhode Island 
Regiment had to consistently resist efforts at re-enslavement 
and fought for back wages from the Rhode Island General 
Assembly.
(14) According to the Rhode Island State Archives, the 
First Rhode Island Regiment included at least the following 
soldiers: Babcock, Priamus (Primus); Bent, Prince; Bours, Cato; 
Brown, Priamus (Primus); Burk, Africa; Burroughs, John; 
Carpenter, Cudgo; Champlin, Dick; Champlin, Jack; Champlin, 
July; Champlin, Newport; Champlin, Sharper; Champlin, York; 
Clark, James; Coddington, Jack; Fones, Jack; Gardner, Cuff; 
Gardner, Hercules; Gardner, Minkl; Gardner, Preamus (Primus); 
Gardner, Rutter; Gray, Ebenezer; Green, Cuff; Greene, Cato; 
Greene, Jack; Greene, Pero; Greene, William; Hammond, Prince; 
Harriss, Cesar; Hazard, Backus; Hazard, Jabin; Hazard, Jacob; 
Hazard, Peter; Hazard, Peter; Lefavour, Thom; Mason, Warsen; 
Mawney, Cyrus; Minturn, Jack; Mowrey, Pero; Nichols, Thomas; 
Perry, Ganset; Phillips, Philow; Pierce, Titus; Potter, David; 
Randall, Prince; Rhodes, Bristol; Rhodes, Priamus; Rhodes, 
Richard; Rhodes, Samuel; Richmond, Ebenezer; Robinson, Mingo; 
Rodman, Isaac; Rodman, Mingo; Rodman, Prince; Rose, Cesar; 
Saltonstall, Brittain; Saunders, Sampson; Sheldon, Cesar; 
Slave; Slave; Smith, Juba; Sweeling, Query; Talbot, Sigby; 
Tanner, Quam; Tillinghast, Cuff; Updike, Cesar; Updike, Moses; 
Vaughan, Prince; Vernon, Cato; Watson, Fortune; Wells, Cesar; 
Wickes, Nat; and Willbour, Boston.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

(a) Award Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of Representatives 
and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate 
arrangements for the award, on behalf of the Congress, of a single gold 
medal of appropriate design to the First Rhode Island Regiment, 
collectively in recognition of their dedicated service during the 
Revolutionary War.
(b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award referred to 
in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act 
referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike the gold medal with 
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the 
Secretary.
(c) Rhode Island State Library.--
(1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in 
honor of the First Rhode Island Regiment of the Revolutionary 
War under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the 
Rhode Island State Library, where it will be displayed as 
appropriate and made available for research.
(2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
the Rhode Island State Library should make the gold medal 
received under paragraph (1) available for display elsewhere, 
particularly at other appropriate locations associated with the 
First Rhode Island Regiment of the Revolutionary War.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

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

SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

(a) National Medals.--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 
under this Act.
(b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate 
bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the 
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

Passed the Senate June 11, 2026.

Attest:

Secretary.
119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 567

_______________________________________________________________________

AN ACT

To award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the First Rhode 
Island Regiment, in recognition of their dedicated service during the 
Revolutionary War.