H.R. 8963

119 HR 8963 IH: Lance Corporal Dustin Sekula Congressional Gold Medal Act
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2026-05-21
 text/xml
 EN
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 I  119th CONGRESS  2d Session  H. R. 8963  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   May 21, 2026   Ms. De La Cruz  (for herself and  Mr. McCaul ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the  Committee on Financial Services    A BILL
To award the Congressional Gold Medal posthumously to Edinburg, Texas war hero Lance Corporal Dustin Sekula, in recognition of his heroic life.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Lance Corporal Dustin Sekula Congressional Gold Medal Act  .
2.
Findings
The Congress finds that:
(1)
Dustin Sekula was born on June 8, 1985, in Edinburg, Texas, and graduated from Edinburg North High School in 2003.
(2)
Dustin was a kind, loyal, and loving son and brother.
(3)
Dustin was skilled at ranching and loved roping steers. He used his high school lunch period to practice roping on a fake steer.
(4)
Dustin turned down an agriculture college scholarship to join the Marines and serve his country at the age of 17.
(5)
At 18, an infantry mortarman of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Dustin died due to injuries sustained from enemy fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, on April 1, 2004.
(6)
More than 1,000 people filled Trinity Worship Center for his funeral service.
(7)
Dustin is buried in Palm Valley Memorial Gardens in Pharr, Texas.
(8)
The Dustin Sekula Memorial Library (DMSML) located in Edinburg, Texas, is named after Marine Lance Corporal Dustin Michael Sekula.
(9)
He was the first Edinburg native to be killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
(10)
He is not forgotten.
3.
Congressional gold medal
(a)
Presentation authorized
The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the posthumous presentation, to the family of Lance Corporal Dustin Sekula on behalf of the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design in commemoration of Lance Corporal Dustin Sekula, Edinburg, Texas war hero, in recognition of his heroic life.
(b)
Design and striking
For purposes of the presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in this Act as the  Secretary ) shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
4.
Duplicate medals
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck under section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses.
5.
Status of medals
(a)
National medals
The medals struck under this Act are national medals for purposes of  chapter 51  of title 31, United States Code.
(b)
Numismatic items
For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.
6.
Authority to use fund amounts; proceeds of sale
(a)
Authority To use fund amounts
There is authorized to be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund such amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck under this Act.
(b)
Proceeds of sale
Amounts received from the sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.