Peace Corps Volunteers Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2025

[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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