IB
Union Calendar No. 82
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1532
[Report No. 105–142]
To amend title 18, United States Code, to create criminal penalties for
theft and willful vandalism at national cemeteries.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 6, 1997
Mr. CALVERT (for himself, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. STUMP, Mr. BONO, Mr.
ROYCE, Mr. BROWN of California, Mr. HAYWORTH, Mr. HUNTER, Mr.
CANADY of Florida, Mr. GILMAN, Mr. MCCOLLUM, Mr. BONILLA, Mr.
BARR of Georgia, Mr. MICA, Mr. HYDE, Mr. GREENWOOD, Mr. MILLER
of Florida, Mr. BILBRAY, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. SOLOMON, Mr. LEWIS of
Kentucky, Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma, Mr. QUINN, Mr. WYNN, Mr. HOLD-
EN, Mr. GREEN, Mr. NORWOOD, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. MCKEON, Mr.
SAXTON, Mr. LEWIS of California, Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mr.
GUTKNECHT, Mr. MANTON, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylva-
nia, Mr. MASCARA, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mr. JENKINS, Mr. EV-
ERETT, Mr. FROST, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. COOKSEY, Mr. SMITH of New
Jersey, Mrs. KELLY, Mr. GEKAS, Mr. ARMEY, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mr. SKEL-
TON, Mr. MEEHAN, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. BISHOP, Mr. REGULA, Mr. VENTO,
Mr. DICKS, Mr. FOLEY, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. THOMAS,
Mr. ENSIGN, Mr. ROEMER, and Mr. SMITH of Michigan) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
JUNE 21, 1997
Additional sponsors: Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. BERRY, Mr. PASTOR, Mr. CLEMENT,
Mr. KILDEE, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. METCALF, Mr. CONDIT, Mr. VIS-
CLOSKY, Mr. CUNNINGHAM, Mr. TALENT, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. GUTIERREZ,
Mr. UNDERWOOD, Mr. COX of California, Mr. GOODLATTE, Mr. WELLER,
Mr. KIM, Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. BURR of North Carolina, Mr. LINDER, Mr.
RYUN, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. CAMPBELL, Mr. CAMP, Mr. BARRETT of Ne-
braska, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. REDMOND, Mr. DICKEY, Mr. BARTON of
Texas, Ms. GRANGER, Mr. DIAZ-BALART, Mr. BATEMAN, Mr. SANDLIN,
Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. FARR
of California, Mr. HERGER, Mr.
CHRISTENSEN, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. HULSHOF, Mr.
KLINK, Mr. GOSS, Mr. DINGELL, Mr. FILNER, Mr. DAVIS of Virginia,
Mr. ANDREWS, Mr. HAMILTON, Mr. WELDON of Florida, Ms. EDDIE
BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mrs. THURMAN, Mr. GIBBONS, Mr. HALL
of Texas, Ms. DUNN, Ms. SANCHEZ, Ms. CHRISTIAN-GREEN, Mr.
LOBIONDO, Mr. BENTSEN, Mr. GEJDENSON, Mr. TRAFICANT, Mr. HOB-
SON, Mr. HALL of Ohio, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. ARCHER, Mr. KIND,
Mr. JOHN, Mrs. MORELLA, Mr. WALSH, Mr. FAZIO of California, Mr.
GALLEGLY, Mr. LAZIO of New York, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr.
LARGENT, Mr. COMBEST, Mr. LATHAM, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr.
HOUGHTON, Mr. EWING, Mr. EHLERS, Mr. KING, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mr.
BACHUS, Mr. DEAL of Georgia, Mrs. EMERSON, Mrs. MYRICK, Mr.
PAXON, Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania, Mrs. CHENOWETH, Mr. HORN, Ms.
PELOSI, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Ms. MOLINARI, Mr. KINGSTON, Mr. DREIER,
Mr. DELAY, Mr. NETHERCUTT, Mr. SHAW, Mr. FORBES, Mr.
HOEKSTRA, Mr. WOLF, Mr. PACKARD, Mr. OXLEY, Mr. CASTLE, Mr.
BUNNING, Mr. POMBO, Mr. BLILEY, Mr. SKEEN, Mr. BOEHLERT, Mr.
CRANE, Mr. JONES, Mr. BAKER, Mr. COLLINS, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. TAYLOR
of Mississippi, Mr. BLAGOJEVICH, Mr. LIVINGSTON, Mr. BEREUTER,
Mrs. ROUKEMA, Mr. FAWELL, Mr. SAWYER, Mr. TANNER, Mr.
MCINTOSH, Mr. LEACH, Mr. COBLE, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr.
WICKER, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. MCDADE, Mr. HASTERT, Mr. DAVIS of Illi-
nois, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. BOYD, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. DEUTSCH, Mr.
REYES, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. THUNE, Mr. WAMP, Mr. BOB SCHAFFER of
Colorado, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. BRYANT, Mr. SCARBOROUGH, Mr. HAST-
INGS of Washington, Mr. HUTCHINSON, Mr. STRICKLAND, Mr. ROGAN,
Mr. PETERSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. MURTHA,
Mr. WEXLER, Ms. HARMAN, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. GOODE, Mr. BARCIA,
Mr. SCOTT, Mr. SNYDER, Mr. SOUDER, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. TIAHRT,
Mr. TAYLOR of North Carolina, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. WATKINS, Mr. SENSEN-
BRENNER, Mr. BRADY, Mr. TURNER, Mr. STEARNS, Mrs. LINDA SMITH
of Washington, Mr. SPENCE, Mr. NEY, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. ETHERIDGE,
Mr. HILL, Mr. KENNEDY of Massachusetts, Mr. MCINNIS, Mrs. LOWEY,
Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. BALDACCI, Mr. CAPPS, Mr. EDWARDS, Mr. EVANS,
Mr. SISISKY, Ms. DEGETTE, Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut, Mr. HEF-
NER, Mr. BONIOR, Mr. EHRLICH, Mr. PARKER, and Mr. JEFFERSON
JUNE 21, 1997
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House
on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
A BILL
To amend title 18, United States Code, to create criminal
penalties for theft and willful vandalism at national
cemeteries.
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 ‘‘Veterans’ Cemetery Pro-
tection Act of 1997’’.
SEC. 2. SENTENCING FOR VANDALISM AT NATIONAL CEME-
TERIES.
(a) GENERAL RULE.—Pursuant to its authority under
section 994 of title 28, United States Code, the United
States Sentencing Commission shall review and amend the
sentencing guidelines to provide a sentencing enhancement
for any offense against any property of a national ceme-
tery—
(1) by at least 4 levels if the offense involves the
willful injury to or depredation against such prop-
erty, and
(2) by at least 6 levels if the offense involves the
knowing theft, conversion, or unlawful sale or disposi-
tion of such property.
(b) COMMISSION DUTY.—In carrying out subsection
(a), the Sentencing Commission shall ensure that the sen-
tences, guidelines, and policy statements for offenders con-
victed of offenses described in subsection (a) are appro-
priately severe and reasonably consistent with other rel-
evant directives and with other guidelines.
(c) DEFINITION.—For the purposes of this section, the
term ‘‘national cemetery’’ means a cemetery in the National
Cemetery System established under section 2400 of title 38
and a cemetery under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of
the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of the
Air Force, or the Secretary of the Interior.
Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to direct the
United States Sentencing Commission to provide sentenc-
ing enhancement for offenses against property at national
cemeteries.’’.