Bill(s)- S 4051 (Introduced March 11, 2026; Susan M. Collins (R-ME))
- HR 1546 (Introduced March 21, 2026; Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY))
Short Title - National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Coin Act
Proposed Year of Issue - Senate Bill: 2029; House Bill: 2026
Purpose To recognize the service and sacrifice of firefighters throughout the history of the United States, and support the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial.
Findings Neither the Senate bill, nor the House bill included a "Findings" section.
For background, from the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation web site (www.firehero.org:).
"Constructed in 1981, the 7-foot stone monument [National Firefighters Memorial] features a sculpted Maltese Cross, the traditional symbol of the fire service. An engraved plaque on the monument bears a message from President Ronald W. Reagan. At the base of the monument an eternal flame symbolizes the spirit of all firefighters — past, present, and future. Plaques encircling the monument list the names of the men and women of the fire service who have died in service to their communities since 1981. Whenever a firefighter dies in the line-of-duty, fire officials post a notice of the death at the monument and lower flags at the site to half-staff. Each year, America honors its fallen fire heroes during a National Memorial Service at the monument site. The ceremony includes the placing of a Presidential Wreath at the monument and dedication of a plaque honoring those who died in the line-of-duty during the previous year. A Wall of Honor is now in place around the monument. The first plaque was placed on the Wall with the names of firefighters who died in the line-of-duty during 2004. A brick Walk of Honor® winds through the beautiful campus, connecting the monument site to the historic National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Chapel."National Fallen Firefighters Memorial, Emmitsburg, Maryland
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(Image Source: Awareness Booklet,
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Fair use, education.)Coins The coins are to carry designs "emblematic of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial and the service and sacrifice of firefighters throughout the history of the United States."
- Up to 50,000 Gold $5 coins
- Up to 400,000 Silver $1 coins
- Up to 750,000 Copper-Nickel (CuNi) Clad $0.50 coins
Surcharges - $5 coin: $35
- $1 coin: $10
- $0.50 coin: $5
Sponsor/Beneficiary- National Fallen Firefighters Foundation "to support the mission and programs of the Foundation."
From the Foundation's web site:
"Our mission is to honor America's fallen fire heroes; support their families, colleagues, and organizations; and work to reduce preventable firefighter death and injury."CommentsThe bills come off - at least to me - as rather generic copy-and-paste efforts culled from other three-coin commemorative programs. The fact neither includes a background on the sponsor/beneficiary nor any details on how collected surcharge funds are to be used limits/eliminates the potential for an emotional "connection to the cause."
I find it interesting that the Senate bill (introduced first) targets 2029 for the program's issue while the House bill (introduced later) proposes 2026 for the year of issue. A simple typo? Poor edit? Or an attempt to squeeze a coin program into 2026 while the numismatic focus for many, including the US Mint, will be on the Semiquincentennial issues?
With roughly a quarter of 2026 already gone, this year does not appear to be the best choice for initiating a new commemorative coin program. If the House version of the proposal moves forward ahead of the Senate version, I would guess the potential issue date will be amended.Likelihood of Passage?The Senate bill currently has 9 co-sponsors; the House bill currently has 35 co-sponsors. Neither is currently a robust sign of support.
- Per GovTrack: Senate bill: 5%; House bill: 14%. (as of date of this post)
For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more Possible? commemorative coin stories, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 03/27/2026 4:55 pm
