[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1407 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1407

 To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide that the decoration 
 known as the Purple Heart may only be awarded to members of the Armed 
                    Forces, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 23, 1997

Mr. Stump (for himself, Mr. Spence, Mr. Davis of Virginia, Mr. Farr of 
    California, Mr. Riggs, Mr. Goode, and Mr. Hill) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on National 
                                Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide that the decoration 
 known as the Purple Heart may only be awarded to members of the Armed 
                    Forces, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PURPLE HEART TO BE AWARDED ONLY TO MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 
              FORCES.

    (a) In General.--(1) Chapter 57 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 1131. Purple Heart: limitation to members of the armed forces
    ``The decoration known as the Purple Heart (authorized to be 
awarded pursuant to Executive Order 11016) may only be awarded to a 
person who is a member of the armed forces at the time the person is 
killed or wounded under circumstances otherwise qualifying that person 
for award of the Purple Heart.''.
    (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is 
amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``1131. Purple Heart: limitation to members of the armed forces.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--Section 1131 of title 10, United States Code, 
as added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to persons who are 
killed or wounded after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (c) Establishment of New Award for Civilians.--The President shall 
establish a decoration to be awarded to persons other than members of 
the Armed Forces who while serving under competent authority in any 
capacity with the Armed Forces are killed or wounded under 
circumstances which, if they were members of the Armed Forces, would 
qualify them for award of the Purple Heart. The color and design of the 
decoration so established shall be distinct from the color and design 
of the Purple Heart.
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