H.R. 5309 — Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2025

This section states congressional findings on the life and achievements of Constance Baker Motley, including her civil rights litigation with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (e.g., as the only female attorney on the Brown v. Board of Education legal team and arguing 10 Supreme Court cases), her service as the first African-American woman elected to the New York State Senate (1964) and as Manhattan Borough President (1965), and her tenure as the first African-American woman federal judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (appointed 1966; Chief Judge 1982; senior status 1986).

This section authorizes the posthumous award, on behalf of Congress, of a Congressional Gold Medal of appropriate design to commemorate Constance Baker Motley in recognition of her enduring contributions and service to the United States. The Secretary of the Treasury must strike the medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, including Motley's image and name; the medal is to be presented to her son, Joel Motley III, and niece, Constance Royster, after which it is given to her son.

This section authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell bronze duplicates of the gold medal struck under section 3 at a price sufficient to cover the costs of production, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses.

This section designates all medals struck under this Act as (1) national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code, and (2) numismatic items for purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of such title.

This section authorizes the use of amounts from the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund (i.e., the Mint's revolving fund for production and sales operations) as necessary to pay the costs of medals struck under this Act and requires deposit of proceeds from the sale of duplicate bronze medals into that fund.