Trends in Commemorative Legislation, 93rd Through 115th Congresses

August 31, 2020

Trends in Commemorative Legislation, 93rd Through 115th

Congresses

Since the Continental Congress, commemorative legislation

has been used to express public gratitude for distinguished

contributions to American history and society; extol the

virtues of individuals, groups, and causes; and perpetuate

the remembrance of significant events. Today,

commemorative legislation continues to serve as a formal

mechanism to record recognition for posterity and a way for

Members of Congress to connect with constituent groups.

Congress generally uses one of six types of legislation to

commemorate individuals, groups, and events. As shown in

Figure 1, these types are postage stamps; commemorative

coins; congressional Gold Medals; commemorative

observances, including federal holidays; memorials; and

building naming, including post offices.

Figure 1. Types of Commemorative Legislation

Source: U.S. Mint, “Doolittle Tokyo Raiders,” at

https://www.usmint.gov/coins/coin-medal-programs/medals/doolittletokyo-raiders; and U.S. Mint, “American Veterans Disabled for Life

Silver Dollar,” at https://www.usmint.gov/coins/coin-medal-programs/

commemorative-coins/american-veterans-disabled-for-life.

Introduction and Consideration

Each Congress, hundreds of commemorative measures are

introduced in the House and Senate. Table 1 shows the

number of commemorative measures introduced and,

depending on the form of legislation, either enacted or

agreed to in each Congress from the 93rd Congress (19731974) through the 115th Congress (2017-2018).

Table 1. Commemorative Legislation, 93rd-115th

Congresses

Congress

Total

Enacted/Agreed to

93

633

44

94

759

49

95

852

57

96

540

97

97

650

148

98

808

224

99

938

296

100

928

281

101

799

243

102

711

203

103

616

154

104

232

86

105

335

95

106

482

197

107

657

215

108

843

337

109

966

455

110

1,302

684

111

1,331

689

112

768

319

113

798

313

114

893

341

115

1,178

426

Total

18,019

5,953

Source: Bush School of Government & Public Service and CRS data

analysis of Congress.gov data on commemorative legislation.

As shown in Table 1, the 111th Congress had the most

commemorative measures introduced (1,331), followed by

the 110th Congress (1,302). Conversely, the 104th Congress

had the fewest (232), followed by the 105 th Congress (335).

For measures agreed to (simple and concurrent resolutions)

or enacted (bills and joint resolutions), the 111th Congress

(689) and the 110th Congress (684) had the most measures,

https://crsreports.congress.gov

Trends in Commemorative Legislation, 93rd Through 115th Congresses

while the 93rd Congress (44) and the 94th Congress (49) had

the fewest.

Volume of Commemorative Legislation

With more than 18,000 commemorative measures

introduced since the 93rd Congress, some categories of

commemorative legislation are more frequently introduced

than others. Figure 2 shows the breakdown in the total

number of measures introduced for each type of

commemorative legislation between the 93rd and 115th

Congresses.

Figure 2. Commemorative Legislation Introduced by

Type, 93rd-115th Congresses

sold at a premium to raise money for a designated cause

(e.g., the Save the Vanishing Species Semipostal; P.L. 111241).

Commemorative Coins

Commemorative coins are produced by the U.S. Mint

pursuant to an act of Congress. These coins celebrate and

honor American people, events, and institutions. Since

1996, only two commemorative coins can be minted per

year, although there is no statutory limit on the number that

can be authorized in a particular Congress. Since the 93rd

Congress, 458 commemorative coin bills have been

introduced, and 36 (8%) have been enacted.

Congressional Gold Medals

Congressional Gold Medals are generally considered to be

the most distinguished award that Congress bestows. As a

result, numerous bills are introduced each Congress to

honor individuals and groups in this way. Since the 93rd

Congress, 609 Congressional Gold Medal bills have been

introduced, with 48 (8%) enacted into law honoring

individuals (e.g., Arnold Palmer) and groups (e.g., World

War II members of the Civil Air Patrol).

Memorials and Commemorative Works

On many occasions, Congress has authorized the creation

of monuments and memorials to commemorate historic

figures, events, and movements. These include memorials

both inside and outside the District of Columbia. Since the

93rd Congress, 932 memorial establishment or recognition

bills have been introduced, with 43 enacted (5%).

Source: Bush School of Government & Public Service and CRS data

analysis of Congress.gov data on commemorative legislation.

Naming Buildings

In each Congress, many bills are introduced to name a post

office or other federal building in honor or in memory of

locally esteemed individuals, deceased elected officials,

fallen military personnel, and celebrities. An act of

Congress is required to name a post office or other federal

building after an individual. In total, more than 2,300

building naming bills have been introduced since the 93 rd

Congress. Of those, 1,346 were introduced to name post

offices, 614 to name federal buildings, 283 to name

courthouses, and 226 to name Veterans Affairs facilities.

Postage Stamps

Each year, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) issues

commemorative stamps to celebrate persons, anniversaries,

and historical and cultural phenomena. For example, USPS

has issued stamps for Lena Horne, President John F.

Kennedy, the Chinese Lunar New Year, and Star Trek. The

USPS issues these stamps at its own statutory discretion

and operates the program with the intent of it being a profitmaking enterprise. Legislation to direct USPS to issue a

stamp to commemorate specific people and events is

sometimes introduced, as well. In total, 614 measures have

been introduced to request certain stamp designs since the

93rd Congress, but only 1% have been enacted or agreed to.

These are generally to create a semi-postal stamp—a stamp

Commemorative Observances

Recognizing a time period is a common use of

commemorative legislation. These can include permanent

recognitions, such as a federal holiday (e.g., Labor Day) or

a patriotic or national observance (e.g., Flag Day), or a

temporary recognition of a day, week, or month. Since the

93rd Congress, 13,078 measures have been introduced to

recognize a time period, with 2,774 (21%) enacted or

agreed to.

For more information on commemorative options for

Congress, see CRS Report R43539, Commemorations in

Congress: Options for Honoring Individuals, Groups, and

Events. For more information on specific commemorations,

see CRS Report RS20221, Commemorative Postage

Stamps: History, Selection Criteria, and Revenue Potential;

CRS In Focus IF10262, Commemorative Coins: An

Overview; CRS Report R45101, Congressional Gold

Medals: Background, Legislative Process, and Issues for

Congress; CRS Report R41658, Commemorative Works in

the District of Columbia: Background and Practice; CRS

Report R45741, Memorials and Commemorative Works

Outside Washington, DC: Background, Federal Role, and

Options for Congress; and CRS Report R44431,

Commemorative Days, Weeks, and Months: Background

and Current Practice.

Jacob R. Straus, Specialist on the Congress

Jared C. Nagel, Senior Research Librarian

https://crsreports.congress.gov

IF11637

Trends in Commemorative Legislation, 93rd Through 115th Congresses

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