Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 119.djvu/2682

119 STAT. 2664 Public Law 109–145 109th Congress

An Act

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of each of the Nation’s past Presidents and their spouses, respectively, to improve circulation of the $1 coin, to create a new bullion coin, and for other purposes.


 * Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

'''SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE'''.


 * This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005’’.

'''SEC. 101. FINDINGS'''.

Congress finds the following:


 * (1) There are sectors of the United States economy, including public transportation, parking meters, vending machines, and low-dollar value transactions, in which the use of a $1 coin is both useful and desirable for keeping costs and prices down.
 * (2) For a variety of reasons, the new $1 coin introduced in 2000 has not been widely sought-after by the public, leading to higher costs for merchants and thus higher prices for consumers.


 * (3) The success of the 50 States Commemorative Coin Program (31 U.S.C. 5112(l)) for circulating quarter dollars shows that a design on a United States circulating coin that is regularly changed in a manner similar to the systematic change in designs in such Program radically increases demand for the coin, rapidly pulling it through the economy.


 * (4) The 50 States Commemorative Coin Program also has been an educational tool, teaching both Americans and visitors something about each State for which a quarter has been issued.


 * (5) A national survey and study by the Government Accountability Office has indicated that many Americans who do not seek, or who reject, the new $1 coin for use in commerce would actively seek the coin if an attractive, educational rotating design were to be struck on the coin.


 * (6) The President is the leader of our tripartite government and the President’s spouse has often set the social tone for the White House while spearheading and highlighting important issues for the country.