FIRST REGULAR SESSION
94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES BROWN (30) (Sponsor), DAY, WALTON, SMITH (14), MAY, KRAUS, FISHER, DUSENBERG AND HOBBS (Co-sponsors).
Read 1st time February 21, 2007 and copies ordered printed.
D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To amend chapter 578, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to the stolen valor act of 2007, with penalty provisions.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 578, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be known as section 578.510, to read as follows:
578.510. 1. This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Stolen Valor Act of 2007".
2. Any person who, with the intent to misrepresent himself or herself as a veteran or medal recipient, knowingly wears, purchases, attempts to purchase, solicits for purchase, mails, ships, imports, exports, produces blank certificates of receipt for, manufactures, sells, attempts to sell, advertises for sale, trades, barters, or exchanges for anything of value any decoration or medal authorized under chapter 41, RSMo, or by the Congress for the armed forces of the United States, or any of the service medals or badges awarded to the members of such forces, or the ribbon, button, or rosette of any such badge, decoration, or medal, or any colorable imitation thereof, except when authorized under regulations promulgated under law, is guilty of a class A misdemeanor. Any second or subsequent violation of this subsection is a class D felony.
3. Any person who misrepresents himself or herself, verbally or in writing, to have been awarded any decoration or medal authorized under chapter 41, RSMo, or by Congress for the armed forces of the United States, any of the service medals or badges awarded to the members of such forces, the ribbon, button, or rosette of any such badge, decoration, or medal, or any colorable imitation of such item is guilty of a class A misdemeanor. Any second or subsequent violation of this subsection is a class D felony.
4. Any person who fraudulently uses the title of "veteran", as defined by the United States Department of Veterans' Affairs or its successor agency, in order to obtain personal benefit, monetary or otherwise, and such person does not have verifiable proof of his or her status as a veteran is guilty of a class A misdemeanor. Any second or subsequent violation of this subsection is a class D felony.
5. If a decoration or medal involved in an offense described in subsections 2 to 4 of this section is a distinguished-service cross awarded under Section 3742 of Title 10 of the United States Code, a Navy Cross awarded under Section 6242 of Title 10 of the United States Code, an Air Force Cross awarded under Section 8742 of Section 10 of the United States Code, a Silver Star awarded under Section 3742, 6244, or 8746 of Title 10 of the United States Code, a Purple Heart awarded under Section 1129 of Title 10 of the United States Code, or any replacement or duplicate medal for such medal as authorized by law, in lieu of the penalty provided in subsection 2, 3, or 4 of this section, the offender is guilty of a class D felony.
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