Congress honors overlooked civil rights pioneer Sarah Keys Evans
H.R. 1377 — Sarah Keys Evans Congressional Gold Medal Act · Filed by Donald Davis (D-NC) · 7 cosponsors · Introduced Feb 14, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill authorizes Congress to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Sarah Keys Evans, a living civil rights pioneer who, in 1952, refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger on an interstate bus—three years before Rosa Parks's famous act. Her legal case, Sarah Keys v. Carolina Coach Company, led the Interstate Commerce Commission to outlaw racial segregation on interstate buses. The bill directs the Treasury Secretary to design and strike the medal, and permits the sale of bronze duplicates to cover costs.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative function is to authorize a Congressional Gold Medal for a living civil rights pioneer. It contains no regulatory, appropriations, or policy mechanisms—only a straightforward commemorative authorization.
What the text implies
- Bronze duplicate medals may be sold at cost recovery, creating a minor revenue stream for the Treasury; this is standard practice for commemorative medals and carries no hidden subsidy or private benefit.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
This is a commemorative measure honoring a living civil rights pioneer whose legal victory directly advanced racial equality and democratic accountability. The bill carries no restrictions on citizens' rights, no private giveaways, and no hidden costs—it is pure public recognition of a historical achievement that benefited all Americans.
Named in the bill
Sarah Keys Evans, Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC), Carolina Coach Company, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Dovey Johnson Roundtree, Adam Clayton Powell Jr., Herbert Brownell, Secretary of the Treasury, House Speaker, President pro tempore of the Senate
Where it stands
7 cosponsors: 7 Democrats.
- Feb 14, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Feb 14, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Financial Services · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (5,301 characters) on Jun 3, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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