PRINTER'S NO. 60
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 71
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY KERWIN, KIM, CAUSER, CIRESI, DEASY, DELLOSO,
FREEMAN, GREEN, GUENST, HADDOCK, HAMM, HILL-EVANS, JAMES,
JOZWIAK, KAUFFMAN, KHAN, LABS, MADDEN, MENTZER, NEILSON,
N. NELSON, ROWE, ROZZI, SANCHEZ AND ZIMMERMAN, MARCH 7, 2023
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 7, 2023
AN ACT
1 Providing for the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument on the
2 grounds of the State Capitol to honor and remember those who
3 have fallen in the line of duty and those left behind.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Findings.
7 The General Assembly finds and declares that:
8 (1) The Hershel "Woody" Williams Medal of Honor
9 Foundation was founded in 2010 on the pillars of pride for
10 our homeland, love of one's family, the braveness of the
11 patriot, the selflessness of sacrifice and the inspiring
12 legacy left by those who have paid the ultimate price.
13 (2) The Gold Star Family Memorial Monument was designed
14 by Woody Williams and Kenton Blackwood, an architect from
15 West Virginia.
16 (3) The monument itself was designed to be made up of
17 four black granite slabs with the words, "Gold Star Family
 1 Memorial Monument, a tribute to Gold Star Mothers, Fathers,
2 and Relatives who have sacrificed a Loved One for our
3 Freedom," featured on one side, with four scenes depicting
4 Homeland, Patriot, Family and Sacrifice on each panel on the
5 other side.
6 (4) The MI Charitable Foundation has accepted
7 responsibility for preparation, acquisition of supplies
8 necessary to erect the monument, construction of the monument
9 in its entirety, scheduling the appropriate maintenance for
10 the monument in perpetuity and all costs associated with
11 doing so.
12 (5) The Department of General Services shall work to
13 facilitate the MI Charitable Foundation during the
14 preparation of the designated site and continued maintenance
15 of the monument.
16 Section 2. Location of monument.
17 The area lying South of the Forum Building, East of the
18 Speaker K. Leroy Irvis Office Building and North of Walnut
19 Street on the grounds of the State Capitol shall be the location
20 for the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument.
21 Section 3. The Department of General Services.
22 (a) Cooperation.--The department shall cooperate with the MI
23 Charitable Foundation and facilitate its construction, placement
24 and maintenance of the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument.
25 (b) Construction.--Except as provided in subsection (a),
26 nothing in this act shall be construed to impose any duties upon
27 the Department of General Services.
28 Section 4. Effective date.
29 This act shall take effect immediately.
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