H.R. 9473: Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor Congressional Gold Medal Act

This bill would award a

Congressional Gold Medal

to the people who fought for or with the United States against Imperial Japan in the Pacific theater during World War II and were later captured and held as prisoners of war.

In practical terms, the bill does four main things:

Creates the award: It directs the House Speaker and the Senate President pro tempore to arrange for a single, collective Congressional Gold Medal honoring these service members, civilians, and other qualifying individuals.
Defines who is covered: The bill covers people who were in the Pacific theater between December 8, 1941, and August 15, 1945, and who either:
- served honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces or under U.S. military command in the defensive battles in the Pacific from December 8, 1941, to June 9, 1942; or
- became prisoners of war of Imperial Japan during World War II until August 15, 1945, including some civilians whom the Japanese treated as military prisoners of war and who later received veteran status.
Excludes some groups: It specifically says the definition does not include members of the Pacific Fleet or the Hawaiian Department.
Handles the medal and copies: The Treasury Secretary would design and have the medal struck. The original medal would go to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History for display and research. The museum would be encouraged to show it at other locations connected to the Pacific war and prisoners of war. The Mint could also make and sell bronze duplicate medals to cover production costs.

The bill also includes background findings describing the fighting in the Philippines, the Bataan Death March, the surrender of Corregidor, and the imprisonment of U.S. and Filipino forces, as well as the role of Filipino soldiers, civilians, and military nurses.

It would allow the cost of producing the medal to be paid from the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund, and money from selling duplicate bronze medals would go back into that fund.

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This is an AI-generated summary of the bill text. There may be mistakes.

Actions

2 actions

Date	Action
Jun. 25, 2026	Introduced in House
Jun. 25, 2026	Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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