What This Bill Does
This bill awards a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the individuals and communities that volunteered or donated items to the North Platte Canteen in North Platte, Nebraska, during World War II, covering the period from December 25, 1941, to April 1, 1946. It directs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike the medal, with the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate arranging the presentation. After the presentation, the medal would go to the Lincoln County Historical Museum for display and research. The bill also allows the Mint to make and sell bronze duplicates to cover production costs.
- Awards a Congressional Gold Medal to North Platte Canteen volunteers and donors.
- Covers service from December 25, 1941, to April 1, 1946.
- Secretary of the Treasury must strike the medal with suitable emblems and inscriptions.
- The finished medal goes to the Lincoln County Historical Museum in North Platte.
- Duplicate bronze medals may be sold to cover production costs.
Who This Bill Affects
For the general public, this bill has little direct day-to-day effect because it does not change taxes, benefits, or federal rules. Its concrete effect is to create and present a Congressional Gold Medal honoring the North Platte Canteen volunteers and donors, with the medal ultimately displayed at the Lincoln County Historical Museum. If you have a personal or family connection to North Platte, Nebraska, or World War II home-front history, the bill provides formal federal recognition of that legacy.
See how this bill affects you — sign in for a personalized analysisWho Supports & Opposes This
- World War II veterans and their families They may see the medal as overdue national recognition for civilians who supported troops traveling through Nebraska. The bill formally acknowledges the morale and hospitality provided to millions of service members during the war.
- Nebraska residents and local historians The measure preserves an important piece of Nebraska history and places the medal at the Lincoln County Historical Museum for display and research. That helps keep the North Platte Canteen story visible to future generations.
- Commemorative and veterans’ recognition advocates Supporters of honorary legislation often argue that Congress should publicly honor exceptional civilian sacrifice and volunteerism. The findings here document large-scale participation, cash contributions, and wartime service without federal assistance.
- Fiscal conservatives They may object to using federal minting resources for a symbolic award rather than a policy need. Even though duplicate bronze sales are meant to cover costs, the bill still authorizes use of the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
- Critics of commemorative legislation Some may argue Congress should limit itself to measures with direct public policy effects. From this view, a gold medal is respectful but does not address a current national problem.
- Taxpayers concerned about federal priorities They may question whether Congress should devote attention and administrative effort to a historical honor when other federal issues compete for time and resources. The bill’s benefits are cultural and symbolic rather than material.
Key Implications
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““award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively””
The honor is not for one person but for a broad group of volunteers and donors. That means Congress is recognizing a community effort rather than a single individual hero.
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““during World War II from December 25, 1941, to April 1, 1946””
The recognition is tied to a specific wartime period, including the years after the war ended in 1945. The bill treats the canteen’s service as a sustained effort over several years, not a one-time event.
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““the Secretary of the Treasury shall strike a gold medal””
This assigns the Mint a direct production role. In practice, the federal government must design and manufacture a commemorative medal before it can be presented.
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““the gold medal shall be given to the Lincoln County Historical Museum””
The medal is intended for public display and research rather than private ownership. That makes the award part of a permanent local historical collection.
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““may strike and sell duplicates in bronze””
Congress is allowing replicas to be produced and sold to offset costs. This is a common mechanism in medal legislation to reduce the net expense to the government.
Latest Status
June 9, 2026
Held at the desk.
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Ask AI about this billData sourced from api.congress.gov.