[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1933 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1933
To award posthumously a congressional gold medal to James Earl Jones,
an American icon, in recognition of a remarkable life in reshaping
perceptions, dismantling racial barriers, and advocating for equal
opportunities for people of all backgrounds in film and theatre.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 6, 2025
Mr. Lawler (for himself and Mr. Torres of New York) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial
Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To award posthumously a congressional gold medal to James Earl Jones,
an American icon, in recognition of a remarkable life in reshaping
perceptions, dismantling racial barriers, and advocating for equal
opportunities for people of all backgrounds in film and theatre.
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 ``James Earl Jones Congressional Gold
Medal Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) James Earl Jones, born on January 17, 1931, in
Arkabutla Township, Mississippi, was raised largely by his
grandparents after his father left. Following the family's move
to Michigan, he developed a serious stutter that led to him
rarely speaking.
(2) James Earl Jones started writing poetry while still in
school and used this to break free of his stutter. Inspired by
the grapefruit that the Federal Government gave to
Mississippians during the wartime shortage, Jones penned a poem
titled ``Ode to Grapefruit''. Jones continued to write, play,
and compete and as a result, he was awarded a scholarship to
the University of Michigan and won a public speaking
competition.
(3) Jones enlisted in the Army in 1953 and reported to Fort
Benning, Georgia, for Ranger School and the Officers Basic
Course. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant. Following
his training, Jones was tasked with assisting in the
establishment of a cold weather training command at the defunct
Camp Hale in Colorado.
(4) Jones relocated to New York City and took a job as a
janitor to support himself while attending the American Theatre
Wing after receiving an honorable discharge as a first
lieutenant.
(5) Jones' Broadway debut was in 1957, where he performed
in several Shakespeare plays, including Othello, Hamlet,
Coriolanus, and King Lear. In 1963, Jones received his first
major nomination, receiving a Primetime Emmy Awards nomination
for his role in ``East Side/West Side''.
(6) ``Dr. Strangelove'', directed by Stanley Kubrick, was
Jones' feature picture debut.
(7) Jones' performance in the play ``The Great White
Hope'', which was about the first Black heavyweight boxing
champion, earned him his first Tony Award in 1969.
(8) Throughout his career, Jones has provided the voices of
well-known global characters, such as Mufasa in the animated
film ``The Lion King'' and Darth Vader in the ``Star Wars''
series.
(9) Throughout his professional life, Jones has been
nominated for two Academy Awards, five Tony Awards, eight
Primetime Emmy Awards, three Grammy Awards, and five Golden
Globe Awards.
(10) Jones was one of the rare performers to have received
an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). Jones was honored with
three Tony Awards, an Honorary Academy Award, a Grammy Award,
and two Primetime Emmy Awards.
(11) In 1985, Jones was inducted into the American Theater
Hall of Fame.
(12) In 1992, President George H.W. Bush and First Lady
Barbara Bush presented Jones with the National Medal of the
Arts at the White House in recognition of his career.
(13) In 2002, Jones was selected to be a recipient of the
2002 Kennedy Center Honors for his contributions to the
cultural life of the Nation at the John F. Kennedy Center in
Washington, DC.
(14) On May 12 2009, President and First Lady Obama invited
James Earl Jones to perform Shakespeare's ``Othello'' at the
White House Evening of Poetry, Music, and the Spoken Word.
(15) On September 12, 2022, the Cort Theatre, a Broadway
theater in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New
York City, was renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre.
(16) James Earl Jones has been recognized for his
independence, activism, and groundbreaking achievements and has
been described as one of the greatest actors in American
history.
(17) James Earl Jones' career showcases talent and
resilience in an industry that historically faced challenges
related to representation.
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 posthumous presentation, on behalf of
Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to James Earl Jones, in
recognition of his contribution to the United States and his
achievements of paving the way for inclusion and equal opportunities
for people of all backgrounds in film and theatre.
(b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation
described in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to
in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the
Secretary. The design shall bear an image of, and inscription of the
name of, James Earl Jones.
(c) Disposition of Medal.--Following the presentation described in
subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the son of James Earl
Jones, Flynn Earl Jones.
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 medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of
machinery, and overhead expenses.
SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.
(a) National Medals.--Medals struck under this Act are national
medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
(b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 and section
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.
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