[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3335 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3335

 To further the protection and recognition of veterans' memorials, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 16, 2001

Mr. Udall of Colorado introduced the following bill; which was referred 
     to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the 
Committees on the Judiciary, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for 
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To further the protection and recognition of veterans' memorials, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans' Memorial Preservation and 
Recognition Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. VETERANS' MEMORIAL RESTORATION FUND.

    (a) Establishment.--Part VI of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new chapter:

                  ``CHAPTER 87--MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS

``Sec.
``8701. Grants to provide for repair and upkeep of veterans memorials 
                            on public property.
``Sec. 8701. Grants to provide for repair and upkeep of veterans 
              memorials on public property
    ``(a) The Secretary may make grants for the following purposes:
            ``(1) To cover the costs of the repair or restoration of 
        any injury or depredation to a veterans' memorial on public 
        property.
            ``(2) To cover any other cost associated with the repair, 
        restoration, maintenance, or upkeep of veterans' memorials on 
        public property.
    ``(b) A grant under subsection (a) with respect to a veterans' 
memorial shall be made to the individual or entity that has authority 
or responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of the memorial. Any 
such grant shall be in such manner and in accordance with such criteria 
as the Secretary may prescribe.
    ``(c) Except as otherwise provided by law, a grant under this 
section shall be made from amounts in the fund established under 
subsection (d).
    ``(d)(1) There is established on the books of the Treasury a fund 
to be known as the `Veterans' Memorial Restoration Fund' (in this 
subsection referred to as the `Fund').
    ``(2) There shall be deposited in the Fund amounts as follows:
            ``(A) Amounts appropriated to the Fund.
            ``(B) Amounts collected as civil penalties under section 
        1369(b) of title 18.
            ``(C) Amounts donated to the United States for purposes of 
        deposit in the Fund.
            ``(D) Any other amounts transferred to the Fund under law.
    ``(3) Amounts in the Fund are available for the purpose of making 
grants under this section. Such amounts may not be used for any other 
purpose.
    ``(e) Amounts in the Fund are in addition to any other amounts 
available to the Secretary for purposes of the repair, restoration, 
maintenance, or upkeep of veterans' memorials.
    ``(f) In this section, the term `veterans' memorial' means a 
structure, plaque, statue, or other monument commemorating the service 
of any person or persons in the Armed Forces.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendments.--The tables of chapters at the beginning 
of title 38, United States Code, and at the beginning of part VI of 
that title, are each amended by adding at the end the following new 
item:

``87. Miscellaneous Matters.................................    8701''.

SEC. 3. CRIMINAL AND CIVIL PENALTIES FOR DESECRATION OF VETERANS' 
              MEMORIALS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 65 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 1369. Desecration of veterans' memorials on public property
    ``(a) Whoever, in a circumstance described in subsection (c), 
willfully damages a veterans' memorial on public property shall be 
punished--
            ``(1) if the cost of repairing the damage to such memorial 
        exceeds the sum of $1,000, by a fine under this title or 
        imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both; and
            ``(2) if the cost of repairing the damage to such memorial 
        does not exceed the sum of $1,000, by a fine under this title 
        or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.
    ``(b)(1) Whoever violates subsection (a) shall be subject to a 
civil penalty in an amount equal to the cost of repairing the damages 
upon which the violation is based.
    ``(2) A civil penalty for an offense under this subsection is in 
addition to any fine or penalty for the offense under subsection (a) or 
any other provision of law.
    ``(3) Amounts collected under this subsection shall be deposited in 
the Veterans' Memorial Restoration Fund under section 8701 of title 38.
    ``(c) The circumstance referred to in subsection (a) is that, in 
violating that subsection, the defendant--
            ``(1) travels or causes another to travel in interstate or 
        foreign commerce; or
            ``(2) uses the mail or an instrumentality of interstate or 
        foreign commerce.
    ``(d) As used in this section, the term `veterans' memorial' means 
a structure, plaque, statue, or other monument commemorating the 
service of any person or persons in the Armed Forces of the United 
States.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 65 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new item:

``1369. Desecration of veterans' memorials.''.

SEC. 4. HIGHWAY SIGNS RELATING TO VETERANS CEMETERIES.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding the terms of any agreement entered 
into by the Secretary of Transportation and a State under section 
109(d) or 402(a) of title 23, United States Code, a veterans cemetery 
shall be treated as a site for which a supplemental guide sign may be 
placed on any Federal-aid highway.
    (b) Applicability.--Subsection (a) shall apply to an agreement 
entered into before, on, or after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.
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