H.R. 3498 — Henrietta Lacks Congressional Gold Medal Act

This section states congressional findings regarding Henrietta Lacks' life and death in 1951; the non-consensual use of her cervical tumor cells to create the first immortal human cell line (HeLa cells); their role in advancing polio vaccines, treatments for cancer, HIV/AIDS, hemophilia, leukemia, and Parkinson's disease, as well as research on radiation, zero gravity, chromosomes, gene mapping, and precision medicine; related Nobel Prize discoveries; over 110,000 publications citing HeLa cells from 1953 to 2018; and her influence on modern bioethics and informed consent policies.

This section authorizes the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design in commemoration of Henrietta Lacks for contributions from her immortal cells to global health, scientific research, quality of life, and patients’ rights. The Secretary of the Treasury strikes the medal, which is then given to the Smithsonian Institution for display and research, with a sense of Congress that it also be displayed at locations associated with Henrietta Lacks.

This section authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell bronze duplicates of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the costs thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses.

This section designates medals struck pursuant to this Act as (1) national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code, and (2) numismatic items for purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of that title.

This section authorizes the use of amounts from the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund—a revolving fund for Mint operations—to pay the costs of striking medals pursuant to this Act and requires the deposit of proceeds from the sale of duplicate bronze medals into the fund.