I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1532
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
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
Protection Act of 1997’’.
SEC. 2. VANDALISM AT NATIONAL CEMETERIES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 91 of title 18, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the follow-
ing new section:
‘‘§ 1865. Vandalism and theft at national cemeteries
‘‘(a) Whoever willfully injures or commits any depre-
dation against any property of a national cemetery, or at-
tempts to commit any of the foregoing offenses, shall be
punished as follows:
‘‘(1) If the damage or attempted damage to
such property exceeds the sum of $1000, by a fine
under this title or imprisonment for not more than
ten years, or both.
‘‘(2) If the damage or attempted damage to
such property does not exceed the sum of $1000, by
a fine under this title or by imprisonment for not
more than one year, or both.
‘‘(b) Whoever—
‘‘(1) steals or knowingly converts to his use or
the use of another any property of a national ceme-
tery,
‘‘(2) without authority, sells, conveys, or dis-
poses of any property of a national cemetery, or
‘‘(3) receives, conceals, or retains any property
of a national cemetery with intent to convert such
property to his use or gain, knowing such property
to have been stolen or converted,
shall be punished by a fine under this title or by imprison-
ment for not more than 15 years, or both.
‘‘(c) For the purposes of this section, the term ‘na-
tional cemetery’ means a cemetery in the National Ceme-
tery 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.’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections
at the beginning of chapter 91 of title 18, United States
Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to
section 1864 the following new item:
‘‘1865. Vandalism and theft at national cemeteries.’’.
Æ