Code Talkers Recognition Act of 2008
Public Law 110-420 · H.R. 4544 · 110th Congress · began in the House
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Oct 15, 2008 · Commemorations
Sponsor: Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK-2)
Cosponsors (300): Rep. Barney Frank, Rep. Dale Kildee,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
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.
Code Talkers Recognition Act of 2008 - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of gold medals (to be maintained by the Smithsonian Institution) to recognize the service of Native American code talkers during World War I and World War II. Defines "code talker" as a Native American who served in the Armed Forces during a foreign conflict and who transmitted secret coded messages for tactical military operations during World War I and World War II using native tribal language.
Directs the Secretary of the Treasury: (1) in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and Indian tribes, to identify each Native American tribe, with the exception of the Navajo Nation, that had a member serve as a Native American code talker; (2) to provide a list of such code talkers to the Smithsonian Institution; (3) to design and strike the gold medals to be awarded; and (4) to strike silver duplicate medals for such code talkers or their next of kin or personal representatives. Authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell bronze duplicate medals to pay for the cost of the gold and silver medals.
Directs the Smithsonian Institution to accept and maintain the gold medals awarded on behalf of the code talkers. Encourages the Smithsonian Institution to create a standing exhibit for Native American code talkers or Native American veterans.
Authorizes payment from the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund for the cost of medals struck pursuant to this Act.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Financial Services Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology 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.
Related bills
2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 4462Related bill
Code Talkers Recognition Act
S. 2681Related bill
Code Talkers Recognition Act of 2008
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 17 actions.
- Oct 15, 2008Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 110-420.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 6, 2008FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Oct 1, 2008FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Sep 30, 2008FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
- Sep 25, 2008FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
- CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
- Sep 23, 2008FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mrs. Capito objected to the vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was withdrawn.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4544.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Gutierrez moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Mar 28, 2008CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology.
- Dec 13, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.