U.S. Mint moved one step closer to producing a commemorative coin in honor of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s 50th Anniversary.

Bill Honoring NASA/JPL 50th Anniversary Passes House

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Treasury will Mint Commemorative Coin

WASHINGTON, DC – Today the U.S. Mint moved one step closer to producing a commemorative coin in honor of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s 50th Anniversary. Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) was an original co-sponsor of the “NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act,” which passed the House earlier today.

Introduced by Congressman John Culberson (R-TX), H.R. 68 authorizes the U.S. Mint to produce a $50 gold coin with an image of the sun and nine $1 silver coins representing each of the planets in our solar system. The coins will be released in 2008 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of NASA and JPL. Profits from the sale of the coins will benefit the NASA Family Assistance Fund, a nonprofit financial assistance program for families of deceased NASA personnel.

“Minting coins is a distinctive way to honor 50 years of dedicated service by the men and women of JPL and NASA,” said Schiff. “I am proud to represent so many distinguished scientists in Congress and I hope these coins will inspire students to pursue careers in science and mathematics.”

Schiff has a long history of involvement in promoting science. Each year, he hosts a Congressional Science Forum series in conjunction with Caltech to give students the chance to learn about educational and career opportunities in math and science from the personalized view of a scientist. The forums have spanned such subjects as physics, biology, chemistry, and math and lecturers have included Dr. Ed Stone, former Director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Dr. Lucy Jones, Scientist-in-Charge, U.S. Geological Survey, and Dr. Sally Ride, the first American woman in space.

Congressman Schiff is the co-founder of the Democratic Study Group on National Security and a member of both the House Judiciary and International Relations committees. He represents California’s 29th Congressional District, which includes the communities of Alhambra, Altadena, Burbank, East Pasadena, East San Gabriel, Glendale, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, South Pasadena and Temple City.

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Tuesday, July 12, 2005 Contact: Rebecca Kutler (202) 225-4176