Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Dr. R. Adams Cowley Congressional Gold Medal Act”.
Dr. R. Adams Cowley Congressional Gold Medal Act
A BILL
To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Dr. R. Adams Cowley, in recognition of his lifelong commitment to the advancement of trauma care.
Sec. 2 Findings
Congress finds as follows:
Dr. Cowley was a pioneer in the practice of open-heart surgery, trauma mitigation, and emergency medical services. His goal through vigorous research into the impacts of trauma was to reduce the instances of death due to shock and was awarded a $100,000 contract from the Army to study the effects of shock in soldiers.
Dr. Cowley established the first clinical shock trauma unit in the Nation in 1960. Dr. Cowley’s realization of the importance of the first 60 minutes of treatment after critical injury led to an idea called the Golden Hour Theory.
Dr. Cowley’s advocacy of the Golden Hour theory led to the first medevac transport system in 1969 after the opening of the new 5-story, 32-bed Center for the Study of Trauma in Baltimore, Maryland.
Dr. Cowley’s work continued to produce new advances in shock trauma treatment. In 1979, former Maryland Governor Marvin Mandel issued an Executive order establishing the Center for the Study of Trauma at the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medicine and Dr. Cowley was appointed Director of the Division of Emergency Medical Services.
Dr. Cowley was a tireless advocate for the Shock Trauma Center throughout his entire career testifying before Maryland legislators and fighting for funding for equipment, helicopters, and anything else he needed to build the EMS System in Maryland.
Dr. Cowley’s hard work laid the foundation for emergency medicine to become a discipline of its own. Hundreds of medical personnel have trained at the Shock Trauma Center including members of the United States Military in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Sec. 3 Congressional gold medal
Presentation authorized— The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design in commemoration of Dr. R. Adams Cowley, in recognition of his lifelong commitment to the advancement of trauma care.
Design and striking— For purposes of the presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in this Act as the Secretary) shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
Sec. 4 Duplicate medals
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3 under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold medal.
Sec. 5 Status of medals
National medals— The medals struck pursuant to this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
Numismatic items— For purposes of section 5134 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.