A bill to award a congressional gold medal to Mrs. Jesse Owens.
Public Law 100-437 · H.R. 1270 · 100th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Sep 20, 1988 · Commemorations
Sponsor: Rep. Louis Stokes (D-OH-21)
Cosponsors (227): Rep. Victor Fazio, Rep. Fofó Sunia,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Authorizes the President, on behalf of the Congress, to present a gold medal to Mrs. Jesse Owens in recognition of the late Jesse Owens' athletic achievements and humanitarian contributions to public service, civil rights, and international goodwill. Authorizes appropriations.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to sell bronze duplicates of the medal.
Amends the Young Astronaut Program Medal Act to include, among the medals the Secretary of the Treasury is directed to strike, medals in uncirculated or proof condition. Extends for one year the authority of the Secretary to strike medals under the Act.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Financial Services Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Consumer Affairs and Coinage Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 11 actions.
- Sep 20, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-437.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Sep 14, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Sep 8, 1988FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- Aug 8, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Jul 12, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Consumer Affairs and Coinage Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Consumer Affairs and Coinage Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Consumer Affairs and Coinage Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee
- Feb 25, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Financial Services Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Consumer Affairs and Coinage Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.