This bill, titled the "Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2025," seeks to posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal to Constance Baker Motley. This honor is intended to recognize her significant and enduring contributions and service to the United States, particularly in the fields of civil rights and law. The legislation highlights her pioneering career, including her work as a staff attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, where she played a crucial role in dismantling segregation and argued ten cases before the Supreme Court, including the landmark *Brown v. Board of Education*. The bill also acknowledges her historic achievements as the first African-American woman elected to the New York State Senate, the first African-American woman to serve as president of the Borough of Manhattan, and the first African-American woman appointed as a federal judge. The Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate are directed to make arrangements for the medal's presentation to her son, Joel Motley III, and her niece, Constance Royster, with the gold medal ultimately given to her son. Additionally, the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to strike and sell bronze duplicates of the medal, with proceeds deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2025
USA119th CongressS-2784| Senate
| Updated: 9/11/2025
This bill, titled the "Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2025," seeks to posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal to Constance Baker Motley. This honor is intended to recognize her significant and enduring contributions and service to the United States, particularly in the fields of civil rights and law. The legislation highlights her pioneering career, including her work as a staff attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, where she played a crucial role in dismantling segregation and argued ten cases before the Supreme Court, including the landmark *Brown v. Board of Education*. The bill also acknowledges her historic achievements as the first African-American woman elected to the New York State Senate, the first African-American woman to serve as president of the Borough of Manhattan, and the first African-American woman appointed as a federal judge. The Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate are directed to make arrangements for the medal's presentation to her son, Joel Motley III, and her niece, Constance Royster, with the gold medal ultimately given to her son. Additionally, the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to strike and sell bronze duplicates of the medal, with proceeds deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.