Nick Shirley Congressional Gold Medal Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 6959
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Congress
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-01-07: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
- Last Updated
- 2026-01-22T15:29:23Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation awards a Congressional Gold Medal to Nick Shirley to recognize his investigative journalism that identified waste, fraud, and abuse of U.S. taxpayer funds, particularly in Minnesota.
Key Provisions
- Establishes the short title as the "Nick Shirley Congressional Gold Medal Act."
- Includes congressional findings describing a December 2025 social media post by Nick Shirley that detailed over $110 million in alleged fraud involving the Minnesota Somali population, leading to the halting of certain federal funding.
- Expresses the sense of Congress that Nick Shirley demonstrated bravery, integrity, and dedication to constitutional principles in exposing fraud under Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
- Authorizes the Speaker of the House and President pro tempore of the Senate to present a gold medal of appropriate design to Nick Shirley.
- Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to design and strike the medal, with authority to produce and sell bronze duplicates to cover costs.
- Designates the medals as national medals and numismatic items under existing federal law.
- Authorizes use of the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund for production costs, with proceeds from duplicate sales returned to the same fund.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill creates no broad amendments to existing statutes. It applies standard procedures from title 31 of the United States Code for striking national medals and numismatic items, authorizing a single instance of a gold medal and bronze duplicates for this specific recipient.
Potential Impacts
- Requires the U.S. Mint to produce one gold medal and any requested bronze duplicates, using existing fund mechanisms without new appropriations.
- Provides symbolic recognition to an individual journalist but does not alter agency operations, citizen rights, or international relations.
- References specific events involving Minnesota state programs and federal funding decisions.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Nick Shirley, as the medal recipient.
- The U.S. Mint and Department of the Treasury, responsible for design, striking, and sales.
- Congress, through authorization and presentation duties.
- American taxpayers, referenced in the bill's findings regarding fraud prevention.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The bill frames the award in terms of dedication to U.S. constitutional principles and accountability for public funds. It is a private relief measure limited to one individual, consistent with prior congressional gold medal authorizations, and carries no enforcement mechanisms or regulatory changes.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2026-01-07: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
- 2026-01-07: Introduced in House
- 2026-01-07: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Nick Shirley Congressional Gold Medal Act — issued 2026-01-07 — PDF (4 pages)