Stolen Valor Act of 2012

(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on September 10, 2012. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Stolen Valor Act of 2012 - Amends the federal criminal code to rewrite provisions relating to fraudulent claims about military service to subject to a fine, imprisonment for not more than one year, or both an individual who, with intent to obtain money, property, or other tangible benefit, fraudulently holds himself or herself out to be a recipient of:

• a Congressional Medal of Honor,
• a distinguished-service cross,
• a Navy cross,
• an Air Force cross,
• a silver star,
• a Purple Heart,
• a Combat Infantryman's Badge,
• a Combat Action Badge,
• a Combat Medical Badge,
• a Combat Action Ribbon,
• a Combat Action Medal, or
• any replacement or duplicate medal for such medal as authorized by law.

[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1775 Introduced in House (IH)]

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 Illinois, 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 criminal offense 
         relating to fraudulent claims about military service.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 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''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF CRIMINAL OFFENSE RELATING TO CERTAIN 
              MISREPRESENTATIONS ABOUT MILITARY SERVICE.

    (a) Misrepresentations About Military Service.--Chapter 47 of title 
18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following 
new section:
``Sec. 1041. Certain misrepresentations about military service.
    ``(a) Offense.--Whoever, with intent to obtain anything of value, 
knowingly makes a misrepresentation regarding his or her military 
service, shall--
            ``(1) if the misrepresentation is that such individual 
        served in a combat zone, served in a special operations force, 
        or was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, be fined under 
        this title, imprisoned 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.--Subsection (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:
            ``(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 components 
        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 meaning 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 authorized by 
                        Congress for the Armed Forces of the United 
                        States;
                            ``(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 paragraph (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.''.
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