[Pages H4560-H4562]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

BOYS TOWN CENTENNIAL COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT

Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and pass the bill (H.R. 893) to require the Secretary of the Treasury
to mint coins in commemoration of the centennial of Boys Town, and for
other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 893

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 ``Boys Town Centennial
Commemorative Coin Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that--
(1) Boys Town is a nonprofit organization dedicated to
saving children and healing families, nationally
headquartered in the village of Boys Town, Nebraska;
(2) Father Flanagan's Boys Home, known as ``Boys Town'',
was founded on December 12, 1917, by Servant of God Father
Edward Flanagan;
(3) Boys Town was created to serve children of all races
and religions;
(4) news of the work of Father Flanagan spread worldwide
with the success of the 1938 movie, ``Boys Town'';
(5) after World War II, President Truman asked Father
Flanagan to take his message to the world, and Father
Flanagan traveled the globe visiting war orphans and advising
government leaders on how to care for displaced children;
(6) Boys Town has grown exponentially, and now provides
care to children and families across the country in 11
regions, including California, Nevada, Texas, Nebraska, Iowa,
Louisiana, North Florida, Central Florida, South Florida,
Washington, DC, New York, and New England;
(7) the Boys Town National Hotline provides counseling to
more than 150,000 callers each year;
(8) the Boys Town National Research Hospital is a national
leader in the field of hearing care and research of Usher
Syndrome;
(9) Boys Town programs impact the lives of more than
2,000,000 children and families across America each year; and
(10) December 12th, 2017, will mark the 100th anniversary
of Boys Town, Nebraska.

SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

(a) $5 Gold Coins.--The Secretary of the Treasury (referred
to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall mint and issue not
more than 50,000 $5 coins in commemoration of the centennial
of the founding of Father Flanagan's Boys Town, each of which
shall--
(1) weigh 8.359 grams;
(2) have a diameter of 0.850 inches; and
(3) contain 90 percent gold and 10 percent alloy.
(b) $1 Silver Coins.--The Secretary shall mint and issue
not more than 350,000 $1 coins in commemoration of the
centennial of the founding of Father Flanagan's Boys Town,
each of which shall--
(1) weigh 26.73 grams;
(2) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
(3) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.
(c) Half Dollar Clad Coins.--The Secretary shall mint and
issue not more than 300,000 half dollar clad coins in
commemoration of the centennial of the founding of Father
Flanagan's Boys Town, each of which shall--
(1) weigh 11.34 grams;
(2) have a diameter of 1.205 inches; and
(3) be minted to the specifications for half dollar coins
contained in section 5112(b) of title 31, United States Code.
(d) Legal Tender.--The coins minted under this Act shall be
legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United
States Code.
(e) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and
5136 of title 31, United States Code, all coins minted under
this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.

SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS.

(a) In General.--The design of the coins minted under this
Act shall be emblematic of the 100 years of Boys Town, one of
the largest nonprofit child care agencies in the United
States.
(b) Designation and Inscriptions.--On each coin minted
under this Act, there shall be--
(1) a designation of the value of the coin;
(2) an inscription of the year ``2017''; and
(3) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God We
Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E Pluribus
Unum''.
(c) Selection.--The design for the coins minted under this
Act shall be--
(1) selected by the Secretary, after consultation with the
National Executive Director of Boys Town and the Commission
of Fine Arts; and
(2) reviewed by the Citizens of Coinage Advisory Committee.

SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS.

(a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this Act shall be
issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.
(b) Mint Facility.--Only 1 facility of the United States
Mint may be used to strike any particular quality of the
coins minted under this Act.
(c) Period for Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins
under this Act only during the period beginning on January 1,
2017, and ending on December 31, 2017.

SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS.

(a) Sale Price.--The coins issued under this Act shall be
sold by the Secretary at a price equal to the sum of--
(1) the face value of the coins; and
(2) the cost of designing and issuing the coins (including
labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses,
marketing, and shipping).
(b) Bulk Sales.--The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the
coins issued under this Act at a reasonable discount.
(c) Prepaid Orders.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders
for the coins minted under this Act before the issuance of
such coins.
(2) Discount.--Sale prices with respect to prepaid orders
under paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount.

SEC. 7. SURCHARGES.

(a) In General.--All sales of coins issued under this Act
shall include a surcharge as follows:
(1) A surcharge of $35 per coin for the $5 coin.
(2) A surcharge of $10 per coin for the $1 coin.
(3) A surcharge of $5 per coin for the half dollar coin.
(b) Distribution.--Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31,
United States Code, all surcharges received by the Secretary
from the sale of coins issued under this Act shall be paid to
Boys Town to carry out Boys Town's cause of caring for and
assisting children and families in underserved communities
across America.
(c) Audits.--Boys Town shall be subject to the audit
requirements of section 5134(f)(2) of title 31, United States
Code, with regard to the amounts received under subsection
(b).
(d) Limitation.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), no
surcharge may be included with respect to the issuance under
this Act of any coin during a calendar year if, as of the
time of such issuance, the issuance of such coin would result
in the number of commemorative coin programs issued during
such year to exceed the annual 2 commemorative coin program
issuance limitation under section 5112(m)(1) of title 31,
United States Code (as in effect on the date of the enactment
of this Act). The Secretary of the Treasury may issue
guidance to carry out this subsection.

SEC. 8. FINANCIAL ASSURANCES.

The Secretary shall take such actions as may be necessary
to ensure that--
(1) minting and issuing coins under this Act will not
result in any net cost to the Federal Government; and
(2) no funds, including applicable surcharges, shall be
disbursed to any recipient designated in section 7 until the
total cost of designing and issuing all of the coins
authorized by this Act (including labor, materials, dies, use
of machinery, overhead expenses, marketing, and shipping) is
recovered by the United States Treasury, consistent with
sections 5112(m) and 5134(f) of title 31, United States Code.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Huizenga) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn
B. Maloney) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.

[[Page H4561]]

General Leave

Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend
their remarks and to include extraneous material on this bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
I rise today in support of H.R. 893, the Boys Town Centennial
Commemorative Coin Act, introduced by the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr.
Fortenberry), and I seek its immediate passage.
Mr. Speaker, on December 12, 2017, Boys Town will celebrate 100 years
of saving children and healing families. Boys Town was founded in 1917
by a young Irish priest, Father Edward Flanagan, who believed that
every child could be a productive citizen if given love, a home, an
education, and a trade. He accepted boys of every race, color, and
creed--an amazing thing back in 1917.
Boys Town first opened on December 12 of 1917 in a rundown Victorian
mansion in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. In 1921, the home later moved to
Overlook Farm on the outskirts of Omaha, where it remains located
today. A number of years ago, I had the privilege of visiting Boys
Town. By the 1930s, hundreds of boys lived at Boys Town, which grew to
include dormitories and administrative buildings, and the boys even
elected their own government, which included a mayor, a council, and
commissioners.
News of Father Flanagan's work spread worldwide, and even Hollywood
took notice with the very famous 1938 movie ``Boys Town,'' with Spencer
Tracy, who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Father Flanagan.
At the request of President Truman, he even traveled the world,
visiting orphans and advising government leaders on how to care for
displaced children after the war.
Although Father Flanagan died in 1948, his work at Boys Town, which
Flanagan called ``God's work''--and I think most of us would agree with
that--continued. Today, although Boys Town is still headquartered in
Nebraska, it continues to expand its care across America. It is one of
the largest nonprofit child care agencies in the country, providing
treatment for behavioral, emotional, and physical problems for children
and their families, helping as many as 2 million people annually.
Additionally, the Boys Town National Research Hospital is a global
leader in the research of Usher syndrome.
Mr. Speaker, I can't think of a better way to commemorate Father
Flanagan and Boys Town than by creating this commemorative coin. The
spirit of Boys Town truly embodies the best of America. This bill would
help recognize and continue to nurture that spirit.
I commend the gentleman from Nebraska for his hard work on this
issue, and I ask for the immediate passage of the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Committee on Ways and Means,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC, June 19, 2015.
Hon. Jeb Hensarling,
Chairman, Committee on Financial Services, Rayburn House
Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Hensarling: I am writing with respect to H.R.
893, the Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coin Act. I
wanted to notify you that the Committee on Ways and Means
will forgo action on H.R. 893 so that it may proceed
expeditiously to the House floor for consideration.
This is done with the understanding that the jurisdictional
interests of the Committee on Ways and Means over this and
similar legislation are in no way diminished or altered. In
addition, the Committee reserves the right to seek conferees
on H.R. 893 and requests your support when such a request is
made.
I would appreciate your response confirming this
understanding with respect to H.R. 893 and ask that a copy of
our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the
Congressional Record during consideration of the bill on the
House floor.
Sincerely,
Paul Ryan,
Chairman.
____

Committee on Financial Services,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC, June 22, 2015.
Hon. Paul Ryan,
Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Longworth House Office
Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Ryan: Thank you for your letter of June 19th
regarding H.R. 893, the Boys Town Centennial Commemorative
Coin Act.
I am most appreciative of your decision to forego action on
H.R. 893 so that it may move expeditiously to the House
floor. I acknowledge that by forgoing such action the
Committee on Ways and Means is not waiving its jurisdictional
interest in this or similar legislation. In addition, if a
conference is necessary on this legislation, I will support
any request that your committee be represented therein.
Finally, I shall be pleased to include your letter and this
letter in the Congressional Record during floor consideration
of this measure.
Sincerely,
Jeb Hensarling,
Chairman.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such
time as I may consume.
I rise in support of H.R. 893, the Boys Town Centennial Commemorative
Coin Act.
I was pleased to be an original sponsor in the last Congress and a
cosponsor in this one. This bill appropriately recognizes the
outstanding work done by Boys Town, a nonprofit organization
headquartered in the village of Boys Town, Nebraska, that selflessly
promotes the interest of children and their families across this
Nation.

{time} 1545

Boys Town, which takes its name from Father Flanagan's Boys' Home,
impacts the lives of more than 2 million families across America each
year through its counseling services, outreach, and education. I am
also pleased to report that each year, Boys Town directly touches the
lives of thousands of New Yorkers through its community support
services and homes for troubled youth.
Father Flanagan, the founder of Boys Town, focused on the inherent
good in children and built a world class organization that emphasized
the rehabilitation of troubled youth, rather than punishment. President
Franklin Roosevelt once said that America needs 49 more Father
Flanagans.
It is this compassionate approach and commitment to love, training,
and guidance, regardless of race or religion, that has made Boys Town
such a success story and a lifeline for countless children and their
families. In commemoration of their centennial anniversary, the bill
before us today will require the U.S. Treasury Department to mint and
issue $5 gold, $1 silver, and half-dollar clad commemorative coins.
Surcharges from the sale of the coins will allow Boys Town to raise
needed funds that will be dedicated to making a positive impact on the
lives of children and families from underserved communities across
America. It is also important to note that the passage of this bill
comes at absolutely no cost to the taxpayer.
I would urge my colleagues to join me in passing this commonsense
bipartisan bill without further delay.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), the sponsor
of this bill.
Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, first let me thank Mr. Huizenga and
Mrs. Maloney for their very thoughtful reflections on the history and
importance of Boys Town. I greatly appreciate the sentiments offered.
I am very happy and proud to stand here in support of the centennial
commemorative coin. As was mentioned, Boys Town was founded in 1917 by
Father Edward Flanagan and has since grown from a small local home for
children who found themselves in difficult circumstances in Omaha to
one of the largest nonprofit, nonsectarian child and family service
organizations in America.
Boys Town offers a remarkable model of academic and spiritual
engagement. Students learn more than math and grammar, as important as
that is. Their teachers and caregivers provide them with solid
formation. Graduates are equipped to succeed not only professionally,
but are also given the life skills to stay on the right path.
Boys Town is so impactful that about 90 percent of the children who
come there integrate successfully back into

[[Page H4562]]

their communities; and historically, many, over time, have joined the
military.
What is this extraordinary model of intervention? It starts with a
family. Each child is placed into a family with a caring, nurturing
mother and a protective, giving father, where there are rules and
expectations, discipline, and love.
The success of Nebraska's Boys Town has recently been duplicated
across many, many communities in our country. Their network of 11
national sites and national hotlines touches the lives of more than 2
million Americans each year.
On December 2, 2017, Boys Town will celebrate 100 years of saving
children and helping to heal families. In honor of this 100-year
anniversary, this legislation, again, would authorize the U.S. Mint to
produce a series of commemorative coins with a design emblematic of
Boys Town's 100-year history.
These coins, of course, will be available to the general public for
sale and will more than offset the cost of minting by the Treasury. As
was mentioned earlier, there will be no cost to the taxpayer.
Mr. Speaker, Boys Town is a quiet institution nestled in the
heartland, my home. It does great service to America by helping to heal
wounds during this socially fractured time.
A quick story, Mr. Speaker: last year, I had the privilege of
participating as a commencement speaker at Boys Town. After I finished
my address, the young people were called forward to receive their
diplomas in a ceremony marked with great dignity and formality and even
lightheartedness.
Even though family and friends and those visiting were told to please
hold their applause, the excitement couldn't be contained. As each
graduate crossed the stage, shouts of joy and encouragement and
clapping continued throughout the whole event.
Prior to the graduation, students had gathered for a retreat, giving
them the opportunity for reflection and recommitment. During their last
time together, the seniors discussed what they had to say. Here are
quotes from a few of them.

I ran in the wrong crowd, hated my family, kept running
away from home, and inflicted self-harm. At Boys Town, I am a
member of the Junior ROTC and learned to like myself and my
family. I look forward to returning home and being a good
example to my younger brother.

Another said:

I lived on the streets from age 10 to 13 and stole to eat.
I ended up in prison, and my cousin got shot in the face. I
never played sports, let alone attended school, but at Boys
Town, I just finished playing baseball this year and signed
on with a college to study business.

Another child said this:

My mom and dad were both in prison, and I had trouble since
kindergarten. In junior high, I was locked up myself for 2
years, and when I got out, my mom died. My dad was still in
prison. Since I have lived at Boys Town, I chose to get
myself on the right track and graduate and made a promise to
myself that I would never do anything that would land me in
prison. Boys Town saved my life.

Mr. Speaker, fortunately, most children do not experience such trauma
in their lives, but some do. These are the kids who bear the scars of
fraying social and familial bonds, destructive choices, and legal
difficulty.
Through no fault of their own, the great problems of our time fall
most heavily on our young people. Economic hardship and broken families
destroy the sense of safety and possibility that is a necessary
antidote to social alienation.
Every child needs a nurturing environment of compassionate challenge
and genuine promise. Education should cultivate that creativity, as
well as dignity, allowing all boys and girls to realize their full
potential.
Today, we have an opportunity to celebrate the lives of remarkable
young men and women and the extraordinary institution that is serving
them so well. By authorizing this Boys Town commemorative coin, we are
investing in the future of our children in a simple but I think really
impactful way.
I want to thank the nearly 300 bipartisan Members of this Congress
who have signed on as cosponsors of this bill. I think that is an
important statement. I would also like to thank Chairman Hensarling and
Ranking Member Waters as well for their leadership on the committee.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time
as he may consume to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Ashford), whose
father and grandfather served on the board of Boys Town.

Mr. ASHFORD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me
this time.
I would like to commend my colleague Congressman Fortenberry for his
work on this issue and his words, which are right on. I would like to
thank as well the chairman for his words, which accurately describe the
history of Boys Town. Let me also thank the ranking member for her
comments that so accurately reflect what Boys Town means to our
community and to the entire country.
I grew up around Boys Town. I grew up playing sports at Boys Town.
The high school that I went to, Boys Town was in our conference; and we
spent many very difficult nights playing basketball against the Boys
Town basketball team which, quite frankly, was better than we were on
most every occasion.
In my years in the legislature that lasted until last year, I had the
opportunity to work with a colleague of mine, Senator Bob Krist from
Omaha, who spearheaded significant juvenile justice reform in our
State.
The child welfare system in Nebraska was in deep trouble; and Senator
Krist, along with Father Boes, who is the acclaimed and incredibly
competent leader at Boys Town, we passed significant juvenile justice
legislation that helps families throughout the State of Nebraska, that
deals with brain development, that deals with wraparound services,
family services, as was so aptly described by my colleague Congressman
Fortenberry.
Mr. Speaker, we are changing lives in Nebraska; and, as has been
mentioned, Boys Town is changing lives throughout the country. Their
unique approach to juvenile justice issues, the wraparound family-
centered services that deal with not only the parents but the siblings
to help bring these young people into a productive life, is what Boys
Town has been about for the 100 years that it has been in existence.
It is no longer there, but I remember as a child in the 1950s
actually seeing the first Boys Town facility in downtown Omaha. When I
was growing up, Boys Town was way out of town. It had a farm around it.
The farm is still there, but now, it is in the middle of Omaha, as
Omaha grows.
Though it is in a different place in the world today than it was in
1917 with Father Flanagan, by bringing business leaders in Omaha
together and others to create Boys Town, it serves that grand purpose
that Father Flanagan envisioned in 1917.
Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I thank the ranking member
for giving me this opportunity to speak.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the
balance of my time.
I thank Mr. Thornberry for his beautiful statement, as well as Mr.
Ashford, from the great State of Nebraska.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of
my time.
I, too, want to express my thanks to both Congressman Fortenberry and
Congressman Ashford for their dedication and desire to highlight Boys
Town and what an amazing thing that has happened out there and really
the impact that it has had.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Jenkins of West Virginia). The question
is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Huizenga)
that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 893, as
amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

____________________