Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Kyle H. Rittenhouse Congressional Gold Medal Act”.
Kyle H. Rittenhouse Congressional Gold Medal Act
A BILL
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Kyle H. Rittenhouse, who protected the community of Kenosha, Wisconsin, during a Black Lives Matter (BLM) riot on August 25, 2020.
Sec. 2 Findings
The Congress finds the following:
Throughout the summer of 2020, local governments across various cities and States failed to adequately protect residents and their property from violent riots that included arson, looting, and murder.
On August 25, 2020, a violent BLM riot broke out in Kenosha, Wisconsin, putting tens of thousands of lives at risk and leaving property vulnerable to destruction.
The courageous actions taken in response to the threat to his community by Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old from the greater Kenosha area, went beyond the civilian call of duty.
Kyle Rittenhouse traveled to the site of the riot with a medical kit to provide aid to those injured by the rioters; he also carried a fire extinguisher to help put out fires at various properties started by arsonists.
Kyle Rittenhouse disarmed a pistol-wielding individual with a lengthy criminal record, including driving while intoxicated and carrying a firearm while intoxicated.
Corporate media outlets including CNN, MSNBC, and the Washington Post, and certain Members of Congress, unjustly attacked Kyle Rittenhouse’s character before his eventual acquittal, a direct contradiction to the legal principle that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
On November 19, 2021, Kyle Rittenhouse was found “not guilty” on all charges by a jury of his peers, rendering the slanderous and libelous content of the aforementioned corporate media and certain Members of Congress against him susceptible to charges of defamation.
Sec. 3 Congressional gold medals
Presentation authorization— 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 the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to Kyle H. Rittenhouse, who protected the city of Kenosha, Wisconsin, from mob violence on August 25, 2020.
Design and striking— For the purposes of the presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the “Secretary”) shall strike gold medals with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
Disposition of medals— Following the award of the gold medal under subsection (a):
Kyle h. rittenhouse— One gold medal shall be given to Kyle H. Rittenhouse.
Kenosha county courthouse— One gold medal shall be given to the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin, so that the medal may be displayed in commemoration of the members of the jury who reaffirmed the constitutional right to self-defense.
Smithsonian institution—
In general— One gold medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where it shall be available for display as appropriate and available for research.
Plaque— In displaying the gold medal given under subparagraph (A), the Smithsonian Institution shall display the medal with a plaque that denotes Kyle Rittenhouse as a defender of his community against the BLM riot in Kenosha, Wisconsin on August 25, 2020.
Sense of the congress— It is the sense of the Congress that the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal given under subparagraph (A) available for display elsewhere, particularly at appropriate locations associated with the protection of American cities during the BLM riots of the summer of 2020.
Sec. 4 Duplicate medals
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medals 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.
Sec. 5 Sense of Congress
It is the sense of the Congress that the United States Mint should expedite production of the gold medals and duplicate medals under this Act, so that the heroic and protective actions of Kyle H. Rittenhouse on August 25, 2020, in Kenosha can be recognized and honored in a timely manner.
Sec. 6 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.
Sec. 7 Financial assurances
The Secretary of the Treasury shall take such actions as may be necessary to ensure that the minting and issuing of coins under this Act will not result in any net cost to the United States Government.