S. 645 — North Platte Canteen Congressional Gold Medal Act

This section states congressional findings regarding the North Platte Canteen, a World War II volunteer effort in North Platte, Nebraska, that provided food and hospitality to approximately 6 million U.S. troops passing through by train from December 25, 1941, to April 1, 1946, with contributions from 55,000 volunteers (mostly women) across 125 communities in Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas; $137,000 in cash raised locally; and service to as many as 24 troop trains per day without federal assistance.

This section authorizes the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal of appropriate design, on behalf of Congress, to the individuals and communities who volunteered or donated items to the North Platte Canteen in North Platte, Nebraska, during World War II. The Secretary of the Treasury shall strike the medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, after which it shall be given to the Lincoln County Historical Museum in North Platte for display and research.

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 the medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses.

This section designates medals struck under this Act as (1) national medals for purposes of 31 U.S.C. chapter 51, which governs the U.S. Mint's production and sale of medals, and (2) numismatic items for purposes of 31 U.S.C. §§ 5134 (numismatic product design and procurement) and 5136 (sale of numismatic items). (Thus, the medals qualify for production and sale by the U.S. Mint under standard authorities for congressionally authorized medals.)

This section (1) authorizes the use of amounts from the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund to pay the costs of striking medals under this Act, and (2) directs the deposit of proceeds from the sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 4 into that fund.