An Act to amend title 18 of the United States Code so as to prohibit the misuse by collecting agencies or private detective agencies of names; emblems, and insignia to indicate Federal agency.
PL 86-291 (S.355), enacted 09/21/1959

570 
PUBLIC LAW 86-291-.SEPT. 21, 1959 
[73 ST A T . 
SEG. 2. (a) The Secretary of the Interior is authorized and directed 
to select, with the approval of the Commission on Fine Arts and the 
National Capital Planning Commission, a suitable site on public 
grounds along Memorial Avenue, Arlington County, Virginia, upon 
which may be erected the memorial authorized in the first section. 
(b) The design and materials for such memorial shall be subject 
to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, the Commission on 
Fine Arts, and the National Capital Planning Commission. 
Such 
memorial shall be erected without expense to the United States. 
SEC. 3. The authority granted in the first section of this joint reso-
lution shall cease to exist unless (1) the erection of the memorial 
authorized by such section is commenced within five years from the 
date of the enactment of this joint resolution, and (2) the Secretary 
of the Interior finds that, prior to the commencement of the erection 
of such memorial, sufficient funds are available to insure its completion. 
SEC. 4. The maintenance and care of the memorial erected under the 
provisions of this joint resolution shall be the responsibility of the 
Secretary of the Interior. 
Approved September 21, 1959. 
September 21, 1959 
[S. 355] 
Emblems and in-
signia. 
Misuse. 
62 Stat. 731. 
Effective date. 
Public Law 86-291 
AN ACT 
To amend title 18 of the United States Code so as to prohibit the misuse by 
collecting agencies or private detective agencies of names, emblems, and 
insignia to indicate Federal agency. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That chapter 33 of 
title 18 of the United States Code is amended by adding at the end 
thereof the following new section: 
"§ 712. Misuse of names by collecting agencies or private detective 
agencies to indicate Federal agency 
"Whoever, being engaged in the business of collecting or aiding 
in the collection of private debts or obligations, or being engaged in 
furnishing private police, investigation, or other private detective 
services, uses as part of the firm name of such business, or employs 
in any communication, correspondence, notice, advertisement, or cir-
cular the words 'national', 'Federal', or 'United States', the initials 
'U.S.', or any emblem, insignia, or name, for the purpose of convey-
ing and in a manner reasonably calculated to convey the false im-
pression that such business is a department, agency, bureau, or in-
strumentality of the United States or in any manner represents the 
United States, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not 
more than one year, or both.*' 
SEC. 2. The provisions of this section shall become effective sixty 
days from the enactment thereof. 
SEC. 3. The analysis of chapter 33 of title 18 of the United States 
Code which immediately precedes section 701 of such title is amended 
by adding at the end thereof the following: 
"Sec. 712. Misuse of names by collecting agencies to indicate Federal agency.". 
Approved September 21, 1959.