I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1775 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to establish a criminal offense relating 
to fraudulent claims about military service. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 5, 2011 
Mr. HECK (for himself, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. CHAFFETZ, 
Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. 
HELLER, Mr. PLATTS, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. BARTLETT, 
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mrs. MYRICK, Mr. CRAWFORD, Mr. 
MCKEON, Mr. WEST, Mr. ROGERS of Michigan, Mr. STIVERS, Mr. 
GRIMM, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. ROONEY, Mr. THORNBERRY, Mr. DUNCAN of 
South Carolina, Mrs. HARTZLER, Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio, Mr. YOUNG of 
Florida, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. WALDEN, Mr. KINZINGER of Illi-
nois, Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee, and Mr. LONG) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to establish a crimi-
nal offense relating to fraudulent claims about military 
service. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stolen Valor Act of 
2011’’. 
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SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF CRIMINAL OFFENSE RELATING 
TO CERTAIN MISREPRESENTATIONS ABOUT 
MILITARY SERVICE. 
(a) MISREPRESENTATIONS ABOUT MILITARY SERV-
ICE.—Chapter 47 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1041. Certain misrepresentations about military 
service. 
‘‘(a) OFFENSE.—Whoever, with intent to obtain any-
thing of value, knowingly makes a misrepresentation re-
garding his or her military service, shall— 
‘‘(1) if the misrepresentation is that such indi-
vidual served in a combat zone, served in a special 
operations force, or was awarded the Congressional 
Medal of Honor, be fined under this title, impris-
oned not more than 1 year, or both; and 
‘‘(2) in any other case, be fined under this title, 
imprisoned not more than 6 months, or both. 
‘‘(b) EXCEPTION FOR DENIAL OF SERVICE.—Sub-
section (a) does not apply to a misrepresentation that an 
individual did not serve in the Armed Forces of the United 
States. 
‘‘(c) DEFENSE.—It is a defense to a prosecution 
under this section if the thing of value is de minimis. 
‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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‘‘(1) 
ARMED
FORCES
OF
THE
UNITED 
STATES.—The term ‘Armed Forces of the United 
States’ means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine 
Corps, and Coast Guard, including the reserve com-
ponents named in section 10101 of title 10, United 
States Code. 
‘‘(2) COMBAT ZONE.—The term ‘combat zone’ 
has the meaning given such term in section 
112(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. 
‘‘(3) CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR.—The 
term ‘Congressional Medal of Honor’ has the mean-
ing given such term in section 704 of title 18, 
United States Code. 
‘‘(4) MILITARY SERVICE.—The term ‘military 
service’ means— 
‘‘(A) service in the Armed Forces of the 
United States; 
‘‘(B) service in a combat zone as a member 
of the Armed Forces of the United States; 
‘‘(C) attainment of a specific rank in the 
Armed Forces of the United States; and 
‘‘(D) receipt of— 
‘‘(i) any decoration or medal author-
ized by Congress for the Armed Forces of 
the United States; 
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‘‘(ii) any of the service medals or 
badges awarded to members of such forces; 
or 
‘‘(iii) the ribbon, button, or rosette of 
any such badge, decoration, or medal. 
‘‘(5) SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCE.—The term 
‘special operations force’ has the meaning given such 
term in section 167(i) of title 10, United States 
Code.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 704 of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by striking subsection (b); 
(2) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as 
subsections (b) and (c), respectively; 
(3) in subsection (b)(1), as redesignated by 
paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘or (b)’’; and 
(4) in subsection (c), as redesignated by para-
graph (2), by striking ‘‘or (b)’’. 
SEC. 3. CLERICAL AMENDMENT. 
The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 47 
of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following new item: 
‘‘1041. Certain misrepresentations about military service.’’. 
Æ 
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