Gani MROY TROY DIS XML, sre eee Toes HER, ‘To posthumously award Congresional Gold Molal to Dr. Li Wentang, in mognition of his forts to ave ies by dawine amamcncss COVID=19 an hie ell for tranpareny in China IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ‘Mr. Roy ntroduo the following bil; whieh ws reered to the Commitee A BILL ‘To posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal to Dr. Li Wenliang, in recognition of his efforts to save lives by drawing. awareness to COVID-19 and his call for transpareney in China, 1 Beit enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 2 tives ofthe United States of Ameriea in Congress assembled, 3. SECTION 1. sHORT'TITLE, 4 ‘This Act may be eited as the “Dr. Li Wenliang Con- 5 gressional Gold Medal Act” 6 SkC.2, FINDINGS, 7 ‘Tho Congress finds the following: pvtacursrsvatzet sms (rere) inn 22h annG2MAUAROYTAIROYTX DIS XML, 1 10 u 12 13 14 16 1 18 19 20 au 23 (2) Dr, Li Wenliang was a 34-year-old ophthal- mologist in Wuhan, China, who died from the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID19) after he sought to draw attention to the spread of the virus despite the Chinese government's effort to suppress hitn (2) Research indieates that the first patient in- fected with COVID-19 exhibited symptoms in early December 2019, if not earlier (@) In December 2019, Dr. Li Wenliang noti- fied his colleagues in the medieal community in China about the outbreak of COVID-19. (4) On Jammy 8, 2020, after about the spread of COVID-19, Dr. Li Wenliang: ing concerns and seven other doctors were detained and ques- tioned by Chi so officials. Dr. Li Wenliang was fored to sign a statement retracting his warnings about the virus and confessing that he had spread illegal rumors, (5) Chinese govermnent anthorities played down dangers to the publie for weeks as COVID=19 eon- tinued to spread, with move than 42,000 confirmed cases in CI ‘a alone and at least 1,000 deaths re- ported as of February 11, 2020. (©) Dr. Li Wenliang continued to work at Wahan Central Hospital despite his knowledge of mumcorssovetees sane cama Sry 2 a (2 om)GaMaUAROYTEROYTX.O15.XML 3 the outbreak, and appears to have been infected himself with COVID-19 after coming in contact with a patient he was treating. (7) Im Febramty 2020, in the hospital where he worked, Dr. Li Wenliang died after contracting covip-19, (8) Before his death, Dr. Li Wenliang stated, “AE the officials had diselosed information about the epidemic earlier, T think it would have been a lot Detter, ‘There shonld be more opemess and trans- pareney.”. (8) The people of China expressed their griet and anger on sosial modia after the death of Dr. Li Wonliang with the phrase “I want freedom of speech”, whieh wus quickly censored by the Govern- ment of the People's Republie of China, (10) The Chinese government inflicted inealew- lnble damage on their own people and the rest of the world by trying to extinguish the news of the COVID-19 rather than mobilize global efforts to battle it (11) Awarding Dr. Li Wei simal Gold Medal, woul not only recognize his bold jang the Congres- actions to draw attention to the spread of COVID- imtoorasavossesazamt (aa) Sy 22.2140 im)‘GauuMROYTAROYTX DIS XML. 4 19, but eall global attention to China's lack of trans- ppareney and censorship of speceh. SEC. 8, CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. (a) Presenravion AurHoRIZ8D.—The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tem- pore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of the Con- 7058, of a gold medal of appropriate design in commemo- vation of Dr. Li Wenliang’s efforts to save lives by drawing ayrareness to COVID-19 and his call for transpareney in China, (b) Desten ann Srrucine—Kor purposes of the presentation referred to in subseetion (2), the Seeretary of the ‘Treasury (referred to in this Act as the “See- retary”) shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the retary. (6) SurrHsonian Instrrution — (2) IN GENsnan—Following the award of the gold medal under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institation, whare it shall be available for display as appropriate and ‘made available for research. (2) SENS# OF CONGRESS —It is the sense of Congress. that the Smithsonian Institation shall simcazeroiacerasom — rar) ay anal ope)GaNMIAROYTROYTX. O15 XML, 10 2 13 4 15 16 7 18 5 ‘make the gold medal received under paragraph (1) available for display elsewhere, particularly at appro- priate locations dedicated to preserving the history of the Chinese pro-demoeraey movement SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. ‘The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in Dronve of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3 under such rogulations as the Seeretary may preseribe, at 8 price sufficient to cover the eost thereof, inekuding labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold medal SEC. 5, STATUS OF MEDALS. (a) NamtoNaL Menats—The medals struck pursu- nto this Act are national medals for purposes of ehapter 51 of title 31, United States Code (©) Numismatic Ines —For purposes of section 5134 of title 81, United States Code, all medals struck under this Aet shall be considered to he numismatie items, carssenoteet sams (mara) ‘toy 2 268 0 pom)