Public Law 110–277
110th Congress
An Act
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of veterans
who became disabled for life while serving in the Armed Forces of the United
States.
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 ‘‘American Veterans Disabled
for Life Commemorative Coin Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) The Armed Forces of the United States have answered
the call and served with distinction around the world—from
hitting the beaches in World War II in the Pacific and Europe,
to the cold and difficult terrain in Korea, the steamy jungles
of Vietnam, and the desert sands of the Middle East.
(2) All Americans should commemorate those who come
home having survived the ordeal of war, and solemnly honor
those who made the ultimate sacrifice in giving their lives
for their country.
(3) All Americans should honor the millions of living disabled
veterans who carry the scars of war every day, and
who have made enormous personal sacrifices defending the
principles of our democracy.
(4) In 2000, Congress authorized the construction of the
American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial.
(5) The United States should pay tribute to the Nation’s
living disabled veterans by minting and issuing a commemorative
silver dollar coin.
(6) The surcharge proceeds from the sale of a commemorative
coin would raise valuable funding for the construction
of the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial.
SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) $1 SILVER COINS.—The Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter
in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall mint and issue
not more than 350,000 $1 coins in commemoration of disabled
American veterans, each of which shall—
(1) weigh 26.73 grams;
(2) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
(3) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.
(b) LEGAL TENDER.—The coins minted under this Act shall
be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United
States Code.
(c) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of sections 5134 and
5136 of title 31, United States Code, all coins minted under this
Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS.
(a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.—
(1) DESIGN.—The design of the coins minted under this
Act shall be emblematic of the service of our disabled veterans
who, having survived the ordeal of war, made enormous personal
sacrifices defending the principles of our democracy.
(2) DESIGNATION AND INSCRIPTIONS.—On each coin minted
under this Act, there shall be—
(A) a designation of the value of the coin;
(B) an inscription of the year ‘‘2010’’; and
(C) inscriptions of the words ‘‘Liberty’’, ‘‘In God We
Trust’’, ‘‘United States of America’’, and ‘‘E Pluribus
Unum’’.
(b) SELECTION.—The design for the coins minted under this
Act shall be—
(1) selected by the Secretary, after consultation with the
Disabled Veterans’ LIFE Memorial Foundation and the
Commission of Fine Arts; and
(2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.
SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS.
(a) QUALITY OF COINS.—Coins minted under this Act shall
be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.
(b) MINT FACILITY.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Only 1 facility of the United States Mint
may be used to strike any particular quality of the coins minted
under this Act.
(2) USE OF THE UNITED STATES MINT AT WEST POINT, NEW
YORK.—It is the sense of the Congress that the coins minted
under this Act should be struck at the United States Mint
at West Point, New York, to the greatest extent possible.
(c) PERIOD FOR ISSUANCE.—The Secretary may issue coins under
this Act only during the calendar year beginning on January 1,
2010.
SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS.
(a) SALE PRICE.—The coins issued under this Act shall be
sold by the Secretary at a price equal to the sum of—
(1) the face value of the coins;
(2) the surcharge provided in section 7 with respect to
such coins; and
(3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins (including
labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses,
marketing, and shipping).
(b) BULK SALES.—The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the
coins issued under this Act at a reasonable discount.
(c) PREPAID ORDERS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders
for the coins minted under this Act before the issuance of
such coins.
(2) DISCOUNT.—Sale prices with respect to prepaid orders
under paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount.
SEC. 7. SURCHARGES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—All sales of coins issued under this Act shall
include a surcharge of $10 per coin.
(b) DISTRIBUTION.—Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, United
States Code, all surcharges received by the Secretary from the
sale of coins issued under this Act shall be paid to the Disabled
Veterans’ LIFE Memorial Foundation for the purpose of establishing
an endowment to support the construction of American Veterans’
Disabled for Life Memorial in Washington, D.C.
(c) AUDITS.—The Comptroller General of the United States
shall have the right to examine such books, records, documents,
and other data of the Disabled Veterans’ LIFE Memorial Foundation
as may be related to the expenditures of amounts paid under
subsection (b).
(d) LIMITATION.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), no surcharge
may be included with respect to the issuance under this Act of
any coin during a calendar year if, as of the time of such issuance,
the issuance of such coin would result in the number of commemorative
coin programs issued during such year to exceed the annual
2 commemorative coin program issuance limitation under section
5112(m)(1) of title 31, United States Code (as in effect on the
date of the enactment of this Act). The Secretary of the Treasury
may issue guidance to carry out this subsection.
Approved July 17, 2008.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 634:
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
Vol. 153 (2007): May 15, considered and passed House.
Vol. 154 (2008): June 10, considered and passed Senate, amended.
June 18, House concurred in Senate amendment.