To award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (commonly referred to as "SEAL Team Six"), in recognition of their critical role in defeating Osama bin Laden in the fight against terrorism.

119th Congress Introduced by Madeleine Dean and 2 co-sponsors

HR 10338 would award a single Congressional Gold Medal to NSWDG (SEAL Team Six) collectively for their role in locating and aiding the operation that killed Osama bin Laden.

Introduced in House

Overview

HR 10338, introduced in the 119th Congress, would award a Congressional Gold Medal collectively to the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG), commonly known as SEAL Team Six. The recognition is intended for their role in defeating Osama bin Laden as part of the broader U.S. fight against terrorism.

Purpose and Intent

The primary aim is to honor the NSWDG for their contributions in national security operations, specifically their involvement in locating and facilitating the operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden.

The bill specifies a collective Congressional Gold Medal rather than individual awards to members, aligning with past practice of recognizing an organization or unit for its collective achievements.

Key Provisions

Authorization of a Congressional Gold Medal to be awarded collectively to the NSWDG (SEAL Team Six).

The design, wording, and distribution details of the medal are generally subject to standard congressional procedures for Congressional Gold Medals, though specific design criteria are not provided in the summary.

The bill designates the ceremonial and symbolic aspects of the award, consistent with other Congressional Gold Medals, including the potential for issuance in multiple form factors (e.g., bronze copies, etc.) as determined by Congress and the U.S. Mint.

Administrative and procedural steps for approval follow customary legislative process for honorary medals, including potential consideration by relevant committees (as indicated by the action history).

Affected Parties and Impact

The primary beneficiaries are the NSWDG (SEAL Team Six) as an organization.

Recipients would be the unit as a whole; individual service members would not be personally named as awardees in the legislation, though the medal recognizes the collective contribution of the unit.

The bill has a symbolic and ceremonial impact, contributing to national recognition of special operations forces and their role in counterterrorism.

There is typically no direct fiscal appropriation tied to the award itself in authorization bills; however, related costs for minting and display are usually handled through the Congressional Gold Medal process and the U.S. Mint’s ceremonial budget.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

Introduced in the House on 2026-09-10.

Referred to the Committee on Financial Services and, in addition, to the Committee on House Administration, for consideration of provisions within their jurisdictions. This indicates a two-committee review path commonly used for honorary medals and related ceremonial matters.

The action history suggests standard procedural steps, including potential hearings, markups, and floor consideration as determined by the committees and the Speaker.

There is no date-specific deadline noted in the summary; passage would depend on committee action and floor votes, consistent with typical Congressional Gold Medal legislation.

Summary

HR 10338 seeks to honor SEAL Team Six with a collectively awarded Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of their critical role in the operation against Osama bin Laden. The measure follows the customary congressional process for honorary medals, involving committee reviews and potential ceremonial considerations, and enlists co-sponsors to support the recognition. The bill is primarily symbolic, aimed at acknowledging the unit’s contributions to national security and counterterrorism.