1-25-2013
Stolen Valor Legislation Introduced
Rep. Joe Heck
(Nev.)
recently introduced the “Stolen Valor Act” (H.R. 258) to
protect the integrity of military awards by making it a crime to
knowingly benefit from making fraudulent claims about military
decorations. In June
of 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court (United
Statesv. Alvarez)overturned a
similar law on the grounds that it infringed on
constitutionally-protected free speech. FRA
supported the earlier legislation and signed on to a Friend of the Court
(Amicus) brief when the case was considered by the high court.
The recently-introduced bill should withstand
constitutional scrutiny and more narrowly focuses on those who seek
to benefit
from misrepresentation of military service – not
the lie itself.
Members
are urged to use the FRA Action Center to ask their representatives to
support this legislation.
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