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CIVIC HERALD
S 284 · 119th Congress · SenateEnacted

Congressional Award Program Reauthorization Act

In plain language: This bill extends the Congressional Award program through October 1, 2028, allowing young people ages 14 to 24 to continue earning national honors for community service, personal development, and physical fitness. The extension applies retroactively to October 2023 so the program can operate without a legal lapse in authority. It also removes rigid federal specifications on the exact metal composition required for the medals, giving organizers more flexibility in how awards are manufactured.

Provisional: our plain-language summary, pending review.

Provisionalunreviewed: impact, provisions, stakeholders, summary
People affected—The operative text does not quantify the number of Congressional Award participants or medal recipients.
Fiscal magnitude—The text reauthorizes the program through October 1, 2028, but contains no specific appropriation or dollar figures.
Reach12provisional · pending reviewrigor: heuristic llm
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Issues

What this bill touches.

Role of government+10

The sign shows the bill's direction on each issue (+ toward, − away); the number is its magnitude. Color never encodes good or bad, and never party.

Who it affects

Who it helps · who it burdens.

Who it helps

  • Congressional Award BoardSection 2 extends the legal authorization for the Congressional Award Board and its program through October 1, 2028 (retroactive to October 1, 2023), allowing it to continue operations. Section 3 removes strict metal composition requirements for the medals, giving the program more flexibility in how medals are made.provisional
  • Youth participants in the Congressional Award ProgramSection 2 keeps the Congressional Award Program authorized and active through October 1, 2028, allowing young people to continue participating in the program and earning awards.provisional

Dollar-level funding (FEC sector totals) is coming in a later phase.

What it does

The provisions, in plain language.

  1. Extends authorization for the Congressional Award Program and its Board through October 1, 2028, retroactive to October 1, 2023.

    Sec. 2provisional

  2. Removes specific metal composition requirements for Congressional Award medals, which previously had to be made of bronze or plated with gold or rhodium.

    Sec. 3provisional

How your members of Congress line up

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Timeline

How it moved.

  1. Dec 26, 2025Became Public Law No: 119-66.
  2. Dec 26, 2025Became Public Law No: 119-66.
  3. Dec 26, 2025Signed by President.
  4. Dec 26, 2025Signed by President.
  5. Dec 18, 2025Presented to President.
  6. Dec 18, 2025Presented to President.
  7. Dec 15, 2025Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  8. Dec 15, 2025On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 370 - 22 (Roll no. 335).
  9. Dec 15, 2025Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 370 - 22 (Roll no. 335).
  10. Oct 20, 2025Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S7169; text: CR S7169)
  11. Oct 20, 2025Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  12. Jan 28, 2025Introduced in Senate

The original text

Read it for yourself.

Read the original text →

Sources & provenance

Congress.govrefreshed 9 days ago

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