BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Louisiana lawmakers are expected to take up a bill next week that would criminalize fraudulent claims of military service and earned military awards, with penalties ranging from fines to prison time.
Senate Bill 51 passed out of committee with minimal opposition and is headed to the full Senate for a final passage vote. If it clears the Senate, the bill would move to the House before reaching the governor’s desk.
What the bill would do
The measure sets a standard penalty of fines up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail for fraudulent representation of military service or awards. False claims involving top military honors — including the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, or the Purple Heart — could result in fines up to $5,000 and up to one year in jail.
False claims that result in someone receiving a military- or veteran-only benefit could carry fines up to $10,000, up to five years in prison, and full restitution of the benefit received.
Push from veterans affairs secretary
Secretary Charlton Meginley from the La. Department of Veterans Affairs is urging lawmakers to advance the bill.
“As a veteran, you stand by your record, you stand with your record and on your record, and you live with what you did in the military,” Meginley said.
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