Doris Miller Congressional Gold Medal Act

This bill, titled the Doris Miller Congressional Gold Medal Act, would award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Doris Miller for his acts of valor as a U.S. Navy servicemember during World War II. It lays out the process for presenting the medal (arrangements by the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate), design and striking of the medal by the Secretary of the Treasury, and transfer of the medal to the Smithsonian Institution for display and research. The bill also directs that the Smithsonian make the medal available for display at other appropriate Doris Miller-related locations. In addition to the main gold medal, the act authorizes the mint to strike and sell bronze duplicates to cover costs, and it classifies the medals as national medals and numismatic items. The statutory framework also provides funding and accountability provisions: costs of producing the medals would be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund, and proceeds from bronze duplicate sales would be deposited back into that fund. The accompanying findings emphasize Miller’s heroism at Pearl Harbor, his role in assisting wounded crew and operating a machine gun under fire, his Navy Cross award, and the historical context of racial segregation in the Navy at the time, which delayed formal recognition of his actions.