Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015
Public Law 114-265 · S. 1555 · 114th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Dec 14, 2016 · Commemorations
Sponsor: Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Cosponsors (71): Sen. Dean Heller, Sen. Harry Reid,
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.
Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015
(Sec. 3) This bill defines "Filipino Veterans of World War II" to include an individual who served:
• honorably at any time from July 26, 1941, to December 31, 1946;
• in an active-duty status under the command of the U.S. Armed Forces in the Far East; and
• within the Philippine Commonwealth Army, the Philippine Scouts, the Philippine Constabulary, Recognized Guerrilla units, the New Philippine Scouts, the First Filipino Infantry Regiment, the Second Filipino Infantry Battalion (Separate), or the First Reconnaissance Battalion; or
• commanding or serving in such a unit as a U.S. military officer or enlisted soldier.
(Sec. 4) The President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall make appropriate arrangements for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to the Filipino Veterans of World War II in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II.
The medal, following its award, shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution where it will be available for research and display.
It is the sense of Congress that the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal available for display elsewhere, particularly at other appropriate locations associated with the Filipino Veterans of World War II.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
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
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 2737Identical bill
Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015
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. 15 actions.
- Dec 14, 2016Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-265.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 7, 2016FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Nov 30, 2016FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1555.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Huizenga (MI) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Jul 14, 2016FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · 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.
- Jul 13, 2016FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Jun 11, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
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.