Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, the bill before the House today, introduced by request of the Treasury Department, is a simple technical corrections bill, and does just three things.
Most importantly, the Mint has sought language that would excuse it from law that requires it to make a silver ``proof'' version of the [Page: H8192] new golden one-dollar coin. It's obvious that it makes no sense at all to make a silver version of a coin that is golden in color, but language left over from the time when silver-colored Susan B. Anthony dollar coins were being made would require the all-silver ``proof'' version. Not having this clarification has held up the Mint's production of ``proof'' sets for collectors, and as it is illegal to produce coins in a year other than the one in which they are issued, failure to pass this bill would either result in a nonsensical ``proof'' set or no ``proof'' set for collectors at all this year.
Also contained in the bill is a clarifying section inserting the work ``platinum,'' inadvertently dropped when Congress authorized the production of platinum and platinum bullion coins a few years ago, and a section calling for some increased reporting requirements on the Mint's costs of producing, distributing and marketing circulating coins.
This is a small bill, but important to the Mint and important to coin collectors. it has no cost implications whatsoever. I urge its immediate passage.
