WWII Nurses Congressional Gold Medal Act

Legislative Summary: WWII Nurses Congressional Gold Medal Act (HR 4901)

Overview

The WWII Nurses Congressional Gold Medal Act is a piece of legislation designed to provide belated official recognition to the women of the United States Army and Navy Nurse Corps who served during World War II. The bill seeks to honor their bravery, medical expertise, and dedication to duty under extreme combat conditions.

Purpose and Intent

The primary intent of this bill is to recognize the critical and often overlooked contributions of military nurses during WWII. The legislation highlights several historical injustices and hardships faced by these women, including:
* Inequality of Status: For much of the war, nurses held "relative rank," meaning they could wear military insignia but lacked full military status, received only 50% of the pay of their male counterparts, and were denied veteran benefits.
* Combat Exposure: Nurses served in high-danger zones across six continents, including flight nurses retrieving wounded soldiers and nurses working in "Hell’s Half-Acre" at Anzio, Italy.
* Captivity: The bill specifically notes the endurance of nurses captured as prisoners of war (POWs) in the Philippines and interned at the Santo Tomas University Internment Camp.
* Systemic Discrimination: The act acknowledges the racial barriers faced by African-American nurses, who were subject to strict quotas and segregation during their service.

Key Provisions

If passed, the bill would implement the following:

1. The Congressional Gold Medal

• Authorization: The Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate are authorized to arrange the award of a gold medal to honor the members of the WWII Army and Navy Nurse Corps.
• Production: The Secretary of the Treasury is tasked with designing and striking the medal.

2. Preservation and Display

• The Smithsonian: The gold medal will be deposited at the Smithsonian Institution for research and display.
• Outreach: Congress expresses the desire for the medal to be displayed at other significant sites, including:
  • The National World War II Museum
  • The Women in Military Service for America Memorial
  • The U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence and Army Women’s Museum
  • National Naval Medical Centers

3. Public Availability

• Duplicate Medals: The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to strike and sell bronze duplicates of the medal to the public. The sale price must cover the costs of labor and materials.

Impact and Affected Parties

• Honorees: The bill primarily honors the legacy of the 59,000 Army nurses and 14,000 Navy nurses who volunteered during WWII, including those of Chinese, Japanese, and African-American descent.
• Fiscal Impact: The costs for striking the medals will be charged to the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund. Any proceeds from the sale of bronze duplicates will be returned to that same fund.

Procedural Status

The bill was introduced in the House on August 5, 2025. It has been referred to the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on House Administration for further consideration.