WEST virginia legislature

2018 regular session

Introduced

Senate Bill 608

By Senator Ojeda, Baldwin, Beach, Facemire, Palumbo, Plymale, Romano, Stollings, Swope, Unger, Woelfel, Prezioso, and Cline

[Introduced February 19, 2018; Referred
to the Committee on Military; and then to the Committee on the Judiciary]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §61-1-10, relating to creating a misdemeanor offense of impersonating a member of the military; setting forth restrictions; and detailing the criminal penalty.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

Article 1. Crimes Against The Government.

§61-1-10. Impersonation of military member or veteran; penalty.

Any person who shall falsely represent himself or herself to be a member of, or retired from, any active or reserve component of the armed forces of the United States with the intent to create a false past and obtain any monetary benefit or other personal gain, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or confined in jail not more than one year, or both fined and confined.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to create a misdemeanor offense related to stolen valor, such that it is a crime to impersonate a member or veteran of the armed forces with the intent to obtain a monetary benefit or other personal gain.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.