Rep. Joe Heck introduced this week the Stolen Valor Act of 2013, a measure that would make it illegal to "knowingly benefit" from lying about receiving military medals.
Heck calls the bill "identical" to one that cleared the House of Representatives last year, but did not become law because the House and Senate couldn't agree on a final version of the legislation.
The congressman said in a news release:
"The valorous awards this bill seeks to protect were earned for doing extraordinary things under extraordinary circumstances in defense of our country. These awards can and should be protected from fraudulent behavior by law and the Stolen Valor Act of 2013 will accomplish that objective. I hope we can build off of last year's strong bipartisan support in the House and get this important bill signed into law this year."
In June 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Stolen Valor Act of 2005 unconstitutional, saying it violated the First Amendment's protection of free speech. The Stolen Valor Act of 2013 is Heck's attempt to narrow the measure struck down by the court so it will pass constitutional muster.
