An Act Regarding Stolen Valor
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1642
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: THIBODEAU
Amends: 17-A MRSA §354, 17-A MRSA §1306, 37-B MRSA §158

Legislative Document 
No. 1642 
S.P. 669 
In Senate, March 9, 2016 
An Act Regarding Stolen Valor 
(AFTER DEADLINE) 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
205. 
Reference to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered 
printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by President THIBODEAU of Waldo. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  17-A MRSA §354, sub-§2, ¶A, as amended by PL 2015, c. 21, §1, is 
further amended to read: 
A.  Creates or reinforces an impression that is false and that the person does not 
believe to be true, including false claims impressions that the person is a veteran or a 
member of the Armed Forces of the United States or a state military force and false 
impressions as to identity, law, value, knowledge, opinion, intention or other state of 
mind; except that an intention not to perform a promise, or knowledge that a promise 
will not be performed, may not be inferred from the fact alone that the promise was 
not performed; 
Sec. 2.  17-A MRSA §1306 is enacted to read: 
§1306.  Deposit of certain fines in Maine Military Family Relief Fund 
Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, if a person is convicted under 
section 354, subsection 2, paragraph A of theft by deception due to that person's 
intentional creation or reinforcement of a false impression that the person is a veteran or a 
member of the Armed Forces of the United States or a state military force, any fine 
imposed on that person by the court must be deposited in the Maine Military Family 
Relief Fund established in Title 37-B, section 158. 
Sec. 3.  37-B MRSA §158, as amended by PL 2013, c. 424, Pt. A, §29, is further 
amended to read: 
§158.  Maine Military Family Relief Fund 
The Maine Military Family Relief Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is 
established as a nonlapsing fund in the department administered according to rules 
adopted by the Adjutant General.  The funds deposited in the fund include, but are not 
limited to, fines imposed by the court on any person convicted under Title 17-A, section 
354, subsection 2, paragraph A of theft by deception due to that person's intentional 
creation or reinforcement of a false impression that the person is a veteran or a member of 
the Armed Forces of the United States or a state military force.  The Adjutant General is 
authorized to award loans and grants from the fund for emergencies and other special 
needs to members or families of members of the Maine National Guard or residents of the 
State who are members or families of members of the Reserves of the Armed Forces of 
the United States and to distribute funds to a statewide nonprofit organization established 
for the purpose of providing assistance to members or families of members of the Maine 
National Guard or residents of the State who are members or families of members of the 
Reserves of the Armed Forces of the United States. The Military Bureau shall adopt rules 
establishing eligibility criteria for the loans and grants.  Rules adopted pursuant to this 
section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
SUMMARY 
Public Law 2015, chapter 21 amended the law governing theft by deception to 
specifically include as deception false claims of being a veteran or a member of the 
Armed Forces of the United States or a state military force.  This bill specifies instead 
that the intentional creation or reinforcement of a false impression that a person is such a 
veteran or member constitutes deception under this law.  This bill also specifies that any 
fine imposed on such a person must be deposited in the Maine Military Family Relief 
Fund.