69–006 

110TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 110–428 

PURPLE HEART FAMILY EQUITY ACT OF 2007 

NOVEMBER 6, 2007.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State 

of the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. CONYERS, from the Committee on the Judiciary, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 1119] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill 

(H.R. 1119) to amend title 36, United States Code, to revise the 

congressional charter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart of 

the United States of America, Incorporated, to authorize associate 

membership in the corporation for the spouse of a recipient of the 

Purple Heart medal, having considered the same, report favorably 

thereon with amendments and recommend that the bill as amended do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

The Amendment ...................................................................................................... 2 

Purpose and Summary ............................................................................................ 2 

Background and Need for the Legislation ............................................................. 2 

Hearings ................................................................................................................... 3 

Committee Consideration ........................................................................................ 3 

Committee Votes ...................................................................................................... 3 

Committee Oversight Findings ............................................................................... 3 

New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures ...................................................... 3 

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate .......................................................... 3 

Performance Goals and Objectives ......................................................................... 4 

Constitutional Authority Statement ...................................................................... 4 

Advisory on Earmarks ............................................................................................. 4 

Section-by-Section Analysis .................................................................................... 5 

Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported ..................................... 5 


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THE AMENDMENT

The amendments are as follows: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Purple Heart Family Equity Act of 2007’’. 

SEC. 2. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP IN THE MILITARY ORDER OF THE PURPLE HEART OF THE 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED. 

Section 140503(b) of title 36, United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘parents 

and lineal descendants’’ and inserting ‘‘the parents, spouse, siblings, and lineal descendants’’. 

Amend the title so as to read: 

A bill to amend title 36, United States Code, to revise the congressional charter 

of the Military Order of the Purple Heart of the United States of America, Incorporated, to authorize associate membership in the corporation for the spouse and 

siblings of a recipient of the Purple Heart medal. 

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

Under the existing Federal charter of the Military Order of the 

Purple Heart (MOPH), members of the MOPH are only allowed to 

invite parents and lineal descendants to join the MOPH as associate members. H.R. 1119 amends the MOPH’s Federal charter to 

allow members to invite their spouses and siblings to join as associate members both for male and female recipients of the Purple 

Heart medal. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR THE LEGISLATION

The Purple Heart is awarded to members of the United States 

Armed Forces—male and female—who are wounded in battle and 

to the next of kin in the name of those who are killed in action or 

die of wounds received in action. It is specifically a combat decoration. 

The organization now known as the ‘‘Military Order of the Purple 

Heart’’ (MOPH) was formed in 1932 for the protection and mutual 

interest of all who have received the decoration. Wives, mothers, 

daughters, step-daughters and adopted daughters of Purple Heart 

recipients are eligible to belong to the Ladies’ Auxiliary of MOPH, 

which also does important work nationally and locally in veterans 

hospitals. 

When MOPH was federally chartered in 1958, very few women 

had received the Purple Heart. Women recipients of the Purple 

Heart currently do not have the same benefits as their male counterparts. Under the current law, male members can invite their 

wives to join the Ladies Auxiliary of the Purple Heart—but there 

is no place in the organization for husbands of Purple Heart recipients. To date, the MOPH has identified at least 97 female Purple 

Heart recipients who have joined and who are not enjoying the full 

benefits of membership that they deserve. 

H.R. 1119, the ‘‘Purple Heart Family Equity Act of 2007,’’ seeks 

to fully honor the women of the Armed Forces who have won the 

Purple Heart defending our nation. Specifically, H.R. 1119 adjusts 

MOPH’s Federal charter to allow members to invite their spouses 

to join as associate members both for male and female recipients 

of the Purple Heart. With this minor update to the Federal charter, 

the husbands of female members may join the organization. H.R. 


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1119 is endorsed and fully supported by the Military Order of the 

Purple Heart. 

H.R. 1119 also allows members to invite their siblings to join as 

associate members so that they too can take part in the full honor 

of their brothers and sisters who fought so bravely for our country 

and received a Purple Heart. 

HEARINGS

The Committee on the Judiciary held no hearings on H.R. 1119. 

COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

On July 27, 2007, the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law met in 

open session and ordered the bill, H.R. 1119, favorably reported, 

with an amendment, by a voice vote, a quorum being present. On 

August 2, 2007, the Committee met in open session and ordered 

the bill, H.R. 1119, favorably reported without amendment, by a 

voice vote, a quorum being present. 

COMMITTEE VOTES

In compliance with clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee advises that there were 

no recorded votes during the Committee’s consideration of H.R. 

1119. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee advises that the findings 

and recommendations of the Committee, based on oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, are incorporated in the descriptive portions of this report. 

NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY AND TAX EXPENDITURES

Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is inapplicable because this legislation does not provide new 

budgetary authority or increased tax expenditures. 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

In compliance with clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee sets forth, with respect to 

the bill, H.R. 1119, the following estimate and comparison prepared 

by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 

402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: 


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U.S. CONGRESS, CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, Washington, DC, August 16, 2007. 

Hon. JOHN CONYERS, Jr., 

Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1119, the Purple Heart 

Family Equity Act of 2007. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew Schmit. 

Sincerely, 

PETER R. ORSZAG, 

Director. 

Enclosure. 

H.R. 1119—Purple Heart Family Equity Act of 2007 

H.R. 1119 would authorize the Congressionally chartered Military Order of the Purple Heart of the United States of America, Incorporated, to grant associate membership status in that organization to the spouses and siblings of purple heart recipients. Because 

Congressionally chartered organizations listed in title 36 of the 

U.S. Code are not agencies of the U.S. Government, CBO estimates 

this bill would have no impact on the federal budget. 

H.R. 1119 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would 

impose no costs on State, local, or tribal governments. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew Schmit. This 

estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Assistant Director for 

Budget Analysis. 

PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The Committee states that pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the goal of H.R. 1119 

is to provide equity for female Purple Heart recipients so that their 

spouses can also participate in the Military Order of the Purple 

Heart. H.R. 1119 does so by amending the Order’s Federal charter 

to allow for associate membership of spouses and siblings in addition to parents and lineal descendants already covered under current law. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, the Committee finds the authority for this legislation in article I, section 8, clause 18 of the Constitution. 

ADVISORY ON EARMARKS

In accordance with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, H.R. 1119 does not contain any congressional 

earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined 

in clause 9(d), 9(e), or 9(f) of rule XXI. 


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SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

The following discussion describes the bill as reported by the 

Committee. 

Sec. 1. Short title. Section 1 sets forth the short title of the bill 

as the Purple Heart Family Equity Act of 2007. 

Sec. 2. Associate Membership in the Military Order of the Purple 

Heart of the United States of America, Incorporated. Section 2 

amends the charter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart to 

allow for spouses and siblings to join the Military Order of the Purple Heart as associate members. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, 

as reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italic, 

existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman): 

SECTION 140503 OF TITLE 36, UNITED STATES CODE 

§ 140503. Membership 

(a) * * * 

(b) ASSOCIATE MEMBERS.—The corporation may extend eligibility 

for membership as associate members to øparents and lineal descendants¿ the parents, spouse, siblings, and lineal descendants of 

an individual described in subsection (a) of this section on terms 

provided in its constitution and bylaws. 

* * * * * * * 


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