106th CONGRESS

2d Session

Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. BAUCUS, and Mr. HELMS) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

To authorize the President to award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress to Charles M. Schulz in recognition of his lasting artistic contributions to the Nation and the world, and for other purposes.

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

The Congress finds the following:

(1) Charles M. Schulz was born on November 26, 1922, in St. Paul, Minnesota, the son of Carl and Dena Schulz.

(2) Charles M. Schulz served his country in World War II, working his way up from infantryman to staff sergeant and eventually leading a machine gun squad. He kept morale high by decorating fellow soldiers' letters home with cartoons of barracks life.

(3) After returning from the war, Charles M. Schulz returned to his love for illustration, and took a job with `Timeless Topix'. He also took a second job as an art instructor. Eventually his hard work paid off when the Saturday Evening Post began purchasing a number of his single comic panels.

(4) It was in his first weekly comic strip, `L'il Folks', that Charlie Brown was born. That comic strip, which was eventually renamed `Peanuts', became the sole focus of Charles M. Schulz's career.

(5) Charles M. Schulz has drawn every frame of his strip, which runs seven days a week, since it was created in October 1950. This is rare dedication in the field of comic illustration.

(6) The `Peanuts' comic strip appears in 2,600 newspapers around the world, and reaches approximately 335 million readers every day in 20 different languages. Because of this, Charles M. Schulz is the most successful comic illustrator in the world.

(7) Charles M. Schulz's television special, `A Charlie Brown Christmas', has run for 34 consecutive years. In all, more than 60 animated specials have been created based on `Peanuts' characters. Four feature films, 1,400 books, and a hit Broadway musical about the `Peanuts' characters have also been produced.

(8) Charles M. Schulz is a leader in the field of comic illustration and in his community. He has paved the way for other artists in this field over the last 50 years and continues to be praised for his outstanding achievements.

(9) Charles M. Schulz has given back to his community in many ways, including owning and operating Redwood Empire Ice Arena in Santa Rosa, California. The arena has become a favorite gathering spot for people of all ages. Charles M. Schulz finances a yearly ice show that draws crowds from all over the San Francisco Bay Area.

(10) Charles M. Schulz has given the Nation a unique sense of optimism, purpose, and pride. Whether through the Great Pumpkin Patch, the Kite Eating Tree, Lucy's Psychiatric Help Stand, or Snoopy's adventures with the Red Baron, `Peanuts' has embodied human vulnerabilities, emotions, and potential.

(11) Charles M. Schulz's lifetime of work has linked generations of Americans and has become a part of the fabric of our national culture.

(a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED- The President is authorized to present, on behalf of the Congress, a gold medal of appropriate design to Charles M. Schulz in recognition of his lasting artistic contributions to the Nation and the world.

(b) DESIGN AND STRIKING- For the purpose of the presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter 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.

Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, the Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck under section 2 at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold medal.

The medals struck under this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

(a) AUTHORIZATION- There is hereby authorized to be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund an amount not to exceed $30,000 to pay for the cost of the medals authorized by this Act.

(b) PROCEEDS OF SALE- Amounts received from the sale of duplicate bronze medals under section 3 shall be deposited in the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

END s.2060

Refer to Preceding HR3642

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