Congress honors Roberto Clemente with commemorative coins funding youth sports
H.R. 1787 — Roberto Clemente Commemorative Coin Act · Filed by Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) · 221 cosponsors · Introduced Mar 3, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill authorizes the U.S. Mint to produce and sell commemorative coins honoring Roberto Clemente—a legendary baseball player, civil rights activist, and humanitarian who died in 1972. The coins (in $5 gold, $1 silver, and 50-cent denominations) will be sold at a markup, with surcharges ($35, $10, and $5 per coin respectively) directed to the Roberto Clemente Foundation to fund youth sports, education, and disaster relief programs. The Mint is required to recover all production costs before any surcharge money flows to the foundation.
Why we flagged it
This is a straightforward commemorative coin authorization—a routine legislative instrument that mints coins honoring a deceased public figure and directs surcharge revenue to a charitable foundation aligned with that figure's legacy.
What the text implies
- The bill caps commemorative coin programs to 2 per calendar year under existing law, meaning this program may displace another planned commemorative coin if both are issued in 2027.
- Surcharge revenue flows only after the Mint recovers all design and production costs, which may delay foundation funding by months or years depending on sales volume.
- The Roberto Clemente Foundation's use of surcharge funds is subject to federal audit requirements, creating ongoing compliance obligations for the foundation.
Who it affects
Citizens benefit modestly through a voluntary commemorative coin program that funds youth sports and disaster relief via the Roberto Clemente Foundation. There is no cost to taxpayers—the Mint must recover all expenses before surcharges are distributed. The bill honors a figure whose legacy centered on civil rights, community service, and humanitarian aid, aligning the coin's purpose with public good.
Who stands to gain
- Roberto Clemente Foundation
Named in the bill
U.S. Mint, Secretary of the Treasury, Roberto Clemente Foundation, Roberto Clemente's family, Commission of the Fine Arts, Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, Major League Baseball
Where it stands
221 cosponsors: 178 Democrats, 43 Republicans.
- Mar 3, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Mar 3, 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 full bill text on Jun 8, 2026; 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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