HR 678 105th Congress House

Thomas Alva Edison Commemorative Coin Act

Official title: To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the sesquicentennial of the birth of Thomas Alva Edison, to redesign the half dollar… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the sesquicentennial of the birth of Thomas Alva Edison, to redesign the half dollar circulating coin for 1997 to commemorate Thomas Edison, and for other purposes.

Introduced: September 23, 1997 See on congress.gov

Commemorations AnniversariesArts, Culture, ReligionAssociations, institutions, etc.Coins and coinage

More subjectsShow fewer subjects

CopperDistrict of ColumbiaEconomics and Public FinanceEnergyFloridaHistoric sitesHistoryHousing and Community DevelopmentIntellectual propertyInventionsInventorsLightingMichiganMuseumsNew JerseyOhioPublic Lands and Natural ResourcesScience, Technology, CommunicationsSilverSmithsonian InstitutionTexas

Everywhere this bill has been 18 steps

Introduced

In committee

Reported out

Passed House

Passed Senate

To President

Became law

Oct 31, 1998

Became Public Law No: 105-331.

Oct 31, 1998

Signed by President.

Oct 20, 1998

Presented to President.

Oct 8, 1998

Message on Senate action sent to the House.

Oct 7, 1998

Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S11807-11808)

Oct 7, 1998

Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S11807-11808)

Sep 10, 1998

Received in the Senate, read twice.

Sep 9, 1998

The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.

Sep 9, 1998

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

Sep 9, 1998

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 397 - 1 (Roll No. 417).

Sep 9, 1998

Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H7466)

Sep 9, 1998

At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 5, rule I, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.

Sep 9, 1998

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate.

Sep 9, 1998

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H7440-7444)

Sep 9, 1998

Mr. Castle moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

Feb 28, 1997

Referred to the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy.

Feb 11, 1997

Referred to the House Committee on Banking and Financial Services.

Feb 11, 1997

Introduced in House

Votes taken on this bill 1

Date	Chamber	What was voted on	Result	Yes–No
Sep 9, 1998	House · vote #417	On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended	Passed	397–1	See who voted →

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Latest action October 31, 1998

Became Public Law No: 105-331.

Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Title I: Commemorative Coins

Title II: Circulating Coins

Thomas Alva Edison Sesquicentennial Commemorative Coin Act - Title I: Commemorative Coins - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint one-dollar silver coins emblematic of the inventions of Thomas Alva Edison in commemoration of the sesquicentennial of his birth.

Directs the Secretary to conduct an open design competition for the design of the obverse and reverse of the coins.

Terminates the authority to mint such coins after December 31, 1997. Requires that certain surcharges received from coin sales be distributed to specified entities.

Title II: Circulating Coins - Amends Federal law to declare that half-dollar coins minted between specified dates shall have the same design as the commemorative coins minted under this Act.

Related & companion bills 1

Bill text 5 versions

Engrossed in House Formatted Text PDF
Enrolled Bill Formatted Text PDF
Introduced in House Formatted Text PDF
Public Law Formatted Text PDF
Received in Senate Formatted Text PDF

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

Committees of jurisdiction 2

Domestic and International Monetary Policy Subcommittee
House of Representatives · subcommittee of Financial Services Committee
Financial Services Committee
House of Representatives

Cosponsors 39

Bishop, Sanford D.

Georgia · May 22, 1998

Nadler, Jerrold

New York · May 22, 1998

Neal, Richard E.

Massachusetts · May 22, 1998

Rogers, Harold

Kentucky · May 22, 1998

Velázquez, Nydia M.

New York · May 22, 1998

Waters, Maxine

California · May 22, 1998

Illinois · Sep 23, 1997

Lofgren, Zoe

California · Sep 23, 1997

Pelosi, Nancy

California · Sep 23, 1997

South Carolina · Jul 31, 1997

Scott, Robert C. "Bobby"

Virginia · Jul 31, 1997

Sessions, Pete

Texas · Jul 31, 1997

Smith, Christopher H.

New Jersey · Jul 31, 1997

Thompson, Bennie G.

Mississippi · Jul 31, 1997

Massachusetts · May 22, 1997

Connecticut · Feb 11, 1997

Norton, Eleanor Holmes

District of Columbia · Feb 11, 1997

Pallone, Frank

New Jersey · Feb 11, 1997

SMITH, NICK

· Feb 11, 1997

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APA

U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 678: Thomas Alva Edison Commemorative Coin Act. 105th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-678/

MLA

"H.R. 678: Thomas Alva Edison Commemorative Coin Act." 105th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-678/.

Bluebook (legal)

H.R. 678, 105th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-678/.

Markdown link

[H.R. 678: Thomas Alva Edison Commemorative Coin Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-678/)