I 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3352 

To amend title 18, United States Code, with respect to protections for 

the Medal of Honor, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 19, 2005 

Mr. SALAZAR introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend title 18, United States Code, with respect to 

protections for the Medal of Honor, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stolen Valor Act of 

5 2005’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds that— 

8 (1) fraudulent claims surrounding receipt of the 

9 Medal of Honor, the Distinguished-Service Cross, 

10 the Air Force Cross, the Navy Cross, the Purple 
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1 Heart, or any other medal or decoration awarded by 

2 Congress or the armed forces damage the reputation 

3 and meaning of these medals; 

4 (2) Federal law enforcement officers are cur5 rently limited in their ability to prosecute fraudulent 

6 claims of receipt of military medals; and 

7 (3) changes to the current statute are necessary 

8 to allow law enforcement personnel to protect the 

9 reputation and meaning of these medals. 

10 SEC. 3. MILITARY MEDAL PROTECTIONS. 

11 Section 704 of title 18, United States Code, is 

12 amended— 

13 (1) in subsection (a)— 

14 (A) by inserting ‘‘purchases, attempts to 

15 purchase, solicits for purchase, mails, ships, im16 ports, exports, produces blank certificates of re17 ceipt,’’ after ‘‘wears’’; and 

18 (B) by inserting ‘‘attempts to sell, adver19 tises for sale, trades, barters or exchanges for 

20 anything of value’’ after ‘‘sells’’; 

21 (2) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting ‘‘or (b)’’ 

22 after ‘‘subsection (a)’’ 

23 (3) by redesignating subsection (b) as sub24 section (c); 
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1 (4) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol2 lowing: 

3 ‘‘(b) FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT RECEIPT OF MILITARY

4 MEDALS.—Whoever falsely represents himself or herself, 

5 verbally or in writing, to have been awarded any decora6 tion or medal authorized by Congress for the armed forces 

7 of the United States, or any of the service medals or 

8 badges awarded to the members of such forces, or the rib9 bon, button, or rosette of any such badge, decoration or 

10 medal, or any colorable imitation thereof shall be fined 

11 under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, 

12 or both.’’; and 

13 (5) by adding at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘(d) OTHER MEDALS.—If a decoration or medal in15 volved in an offense under subsection (a) or (b) is a Dis16 tinguished Service Cross awarded under Section 3742 of 

17 title 10, an Air Force Cross awarded under section 8742 

18 of section 10, a Navy cross awarded under section 6242 

19 of title 10, a silver star awarded under section 3746, 6244, 

20 or 8746 of title 10, or a Purple Heart awarded under sec21 tion 1129 of title 10, or any replacement or duplicate 

22 medal as authorized by statute, in lieu of the punishment 

23 provided in that subsection, the offender shall be fined 
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1 under this title, imprisoned not more than 1 year, or 

2 both.’’. 

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