President Barack Obama signed into law The American Legion-backed Stolen Valor Act of 2013 on June 3, which now makes it a “federal crime for an individual to fraudulently hold oneself out to be a recipient of any of several specified military decorations or medals with the intent to obtain money, property, or other tangible benefit.” Violators could face up to a year in prison.
The U.S. Supreme Court had overturned the original Stolen Valor Act of 2005, deeming it unconstitutional because it was, in the justices’ opinion, too broad in scope and violated the right of free speech.
A summary and the text of the Act are available on the Congress.gov website at http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/258.
