H.R. 9627: Hmong Congressional Gold Medal Act

This bill would direct Congress to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Hmong people, recognizing their service during the Vietnam War and their role in fighting communism.

What the bill would do

• It gives the bill a short name: the Hmong Congressional Gold Medal Act.
• It states Congress’s findings about the Hmong people’s involvement in the war in Laos, including working with the CIA, fighting on the ground, gathering intelligence, disrupting supply routes, and rescuing downed American pilots.
• It directs the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a gold medal to the Hmong people on behalf of Congress.
• It requires the Secretary of the Treasury to design and strike the medal.
• After the award, the medal would be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where it could be displayed and used for research.
• It says the Smithsonian should, when appropriate, display the medal at other locations connected to the Hmong people’s service, with preference for Smithsonian-affiliated locations.
• It allows the Treasury Secretary to make and sell bronze duplicate medals at a price that covers production costs.
• It classifies the medals as national medals and numismatic items under federal law.

Practical effect

The bill is largely ceremonial. It does not create a benefits program or change immigration, military, or foreign policy rules. Its main effect would be official recognition by Congress of the Hmong people’s wartime service, along with the creation of a commemorative medal and possible bronze replicas for sale.

Relevant Companies

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