US Codex
Bill
Notes

S. 3321 — what changed

Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act

From Introduced in Senate to Engrossed in Senate. 3 sections amended between Introduced in Senate and Engrossed in Senate.

Sec. 2 Findings

Congress finds the following:

(1)
added In 1935, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (referred to in this section as “NACA”) hired 5 women to serve as the first “computer pool” at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory where those women took on work making calculations that male engineers had made previously.
(2)
added During the 1940s, NACA began recruiting African American women to work as computers and initially separated those women from their White counterparts in a group known as the “West Area Computers” where the women were restricted to segregated dining and bathroom facilities.
(3)
renumbered was (3) Katherine Johnson was born on August 26, 1918, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.
(4)
added In 1953, Katherine Johnson began her career in aeronautics as a computer in the segregated West Area Computing unit described in paragraph (2).
(2)
removed In 1953, Katherine Johnson began her career in aeronautics as a “computer” in the segregated West Area Computing unit of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (referred to in this section as “NACA”).
(5)
renumbered was (5) As a member of the Flight Research Division, Katherine Johnson analyzed data from flight tests. After NACA was reformulated into the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (referred to in this section as “NASA”), Johnson—
(A)
renumbered was (5)(2) calculated the trajectory for Alan Shepard’s Freedom 7 mission in 1961, which was the first human spaceflight by an individual from the United States;
(B)
renumbered was (5)(3) coauthored a report that provided the equations for describing orbital spaceflight with a specified landing point, which made her the first woman to be recognized as an author of a report from the Flight Research Division;
(C)
renumbered was (5)(4) was asked to verify the calculations when electronic computers at NASA were used to calculate the orbit for John Glenn’s Friendship 7 mission; and
(D)
renumbered was (5)(5) provided calculations for NASA throughout her career, including for the Apollo missions.
(6)
renumbered was (6) Katherine Johnson retired from NASA in 1986.
(7)
renumbered was (7) Dr. Christine Darden was born on September 10, 1942, in Monroe, North Carolina.
(8)
renumbered was (8) In 1962, Dr. Christine Darden graduated from Hampton Institute with a B.S. in Mathematics and a teaching credential.
(9)
added Dr. Christine Darden attended Virginia State University where she studied aerosol physics and earned an M.S. in Applied Mathematics.
(7)
removed Dr. Christine Darden attended Virginia State University, where she studied aerosol physics and earned an M.S. in Applied Mathematics.
(10)
renumbered was (10) Dr. Christine Darden began her career in aeronautics in 1967 as a data analyst at NASA’s Langley Research Center (referred to in this section as “Langley”) before being promoted to aerospace engineer in 1973. Her work in this position resulted in the production of low-boom sonic effects, which revolutionized aerodynamics design.
(11)
renumbered was (11) Dr. Christine Darden completed her education by earning a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from George Washington University in 1983.
(12)
added While working at NASA, Dr. Christine Darden—
(10)
removed While at NASA, Dr. Christine Darden—
(A)
renumbered was (12)(2) was appointed to be the leader of the Sonic Boom Team, which worked on designs to minimize the effects of sonic booms by testing wing and nose designs for supersonic aircraft;
(B)
renumbered was (12)(3) wrote more than 50 articles on aeronautics design; and
(C)
added became the first African American to be promoted to a position in the Senior Executive Service at Langley.
(C)
removed became the first African-American to be promoted to a position in the Senior Executive Service at Langley.
(13)
renumbered was (13) Dorothy Vaughan was born on September 20, 1910, in Kansas City, Missouri.
(14)
renumbered was (14) Dorothy Vaughan began working for NACA in 1943. Vaughan—
(A)
added started at NACA as a member of the West Area Computing unit;
(B)
added was promoted to be the head of the West Area Computing unit, becoming NACA’s first African American supervisor, a position that she held for 9 years; and
(A)
removed started as a member of the West Area Computing unit;
(B)
removed was promoted to be the head of the West Area Computing unit, becoming NACA’s first African-American supervisor, a position that she held for 9 years; and
(C)
renumbered was (14)(4) became an expert programmer in FORTRAN as a member of NASA’s Analysis and Computation Division.
(15)
renumbered was (15) Dorothy Vaughan retired from NASA in 1971 and died on November 10, 2008.
(16)
renumbered was (16) Mary Jackson was born on April 9, 1921, in Hampton, Virginia.
(15)
removed Jackson started her career at NACA in 1951, working as a “computer” as a member of the West Area Computing unit.
(16)
removed After petitioning the City of Hampton to allow her to take graduate-level courses in math and physics at night at the all-White Hampton High School, Jackson was able to complete the required training to become an engineer, making her NASA’s first female African-American engineer.
(17)
changed Jackson—Mary Jackson started her career at NACA in 1951, working as a computer as a member of the West Area Computing unit.
(18)
added After petitioning the City of Hampton to allow her to take graduate-level courses in math and physics at night at the all-White Hampton High School, Mary Jackson was able to complete the required training to become an engineer, making her NASA’s first female African American engineer.
(19)
added Mary Jackson—
(A)
added while at NACA and NASA—
(i)
added worked in the Theoretical Aerodynamics Branch of the Subsonic-Transonic Aerodynamics Division at Langley where she analyzed wind tunnel and aircraft flight data; and
(ii)
added published a dozen technical papers that focused on the boundary layer of air around airplanes; and
(B)
added after 21 years working as an engineer at NASA, transitioned to a new job as Langley’s Federal Women’s Program Manager where she worked to improve the prospects of NASA’s female mathematicians, engineers, and scientists.
(A)
removed at NACA and NASA—
(i)
removed worked in the Theoretical Aerodynamics Branch of the Subsonic-Transonic Aerodynamics Division at Langley, where she analyzed wind tunnel and aircraft flight data; and
(ii)
removed published a dozen technical papers throughout her career, focused on the boundary layer of air around airplanes; and
(B)
removed after 21 years working as an engineer at NASA, transitioned to a new job as Langley’s Federal Women’s Program Manager, where she worked to improve the prospects of NASA’s female mathematicians, engineers, and scientists.
(20)
renumbered was (20) Mary Jackson retired from NASA in 1985 and died in 2005.
(21)
added These 4 women, along with the other African American women in NASA’s West Area Computing unit, were integral to the success of the early space program. The stories of these 4 women exemplify the experiences of hundreds of women who worked as computers, mathematicians, and engineers at NACA beginning in the 1930s and their handmade calculations played an integral role in—
(A)
added aircraft testing during World War II;
(B)
added supersonic flight research;
(C)
added sending the Voyager probes to explore the solar system; and
(D)
added the United States landing the first man on the lunar surface.
(19)
removed These 4 women, along with the other African-American women in NASA’s West Area Computing unit, were integral to the success of the early space program.

Sec. 3 Congressional Gold Medals

(a)
changed Presentation authorized— The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of 4 5 gold medals of appropriate design as follows:
(1)
changed One gold medal to Katherine Johnson, Johnson in recognition of her service to the United States as a mathematician.
(2)
changed One gold medal to Dr. Christine Darden, Darden for her service to the United States as an aeronautical engineer.
(3)
changed In recognition of their service to the United States during the Space Race, 2 gold medals to commemorate the lives of—Race—
(A)
changed 1 gold medal commemorating the life of Dorothy Vaughan; and
(B)
changed 1 gold medal commemorating the life of Mary Jackson.
(4)
added One gold medal in recognition of all women who served as computers, mathematicians, and engineers at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration between the 1930s and the 1970s (referred to in this section as “recognized women”).
(b)
changed Design and striking— For the purpose of the awards referred to in under subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in this Act as the “Secretary”) shall strike each gold medal described in that subsection with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
(c)
Transfer of certain medals after presentation—
(1)
Smithsonian Institution—
(A)
changed In general— Following After the award of the gold medal in honor commemorating the life of Dorothy Vaughan under subsection (a)(3)(A), (a)(3)(A) and the award of the gold medal in recognition of recognized women under subsection (a)(4), those medals shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, Institution where the medal medals shall be available for display as appropriate and made available for research.be—
(i)
added available for display, as appropriate; and
(ii)
added made available for research.
(B)
changed Sense of Congress— It is the sense of Congress that the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal medals received under subparagraph (A) available for—
(i)
display, particularly at the National Museum of African American History and Culture; or
(ii)
changed loan, as appropriate, so that the medal medals may be displayed elsewhere.
(2)
changed Transfer to family— Following After the award of the gold medal in honor of Mary Jackson under subsection (a)(3)(B), the medal shall be given to her family.granddaughter, Wanda Jackson.

Sec. 6 Authority to use fund amounts; proceeds of sale

(a)
changed Authority To to use fund amounts— There is authorized to be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund such amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck under this Act.
(b)
Proceeds of sale— Amounts received from the sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.