[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2027 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2027

  To amend title 38, United States Code, chapter 5, to authorize the 
  Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish and promote programs and 
  activities honoring veterans and to authorize the next of kin of a 
  deceased veteran to wear the veteran's awards and decorations under 
                         certain circumstances.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 6, 2007

 Mr. Akaka (by request) introduced the following bill; which was read 
        twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, chapter 5, to authorize the 
  Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish and promote programs and 
  activities honoring veterans and to authorize the next of kin of a 
  deceased veteran to wear the veteran's awards and decorations under 
                         certain circumstances.

    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' Pride Initiative Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH AND PROMOTE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES 
              HONORING VETERANS; WEARING OF AWARDS AND DECORATIONS.

    (a) Subchapter II of chapter 5, title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 532. Establishment and promotion of programs honoring veterans; 
              wearing of awards and decorations
    ``(a) The Secretary may establish and promote programs and 
activities as specified in subsection (b) for the purpose of honoring 
veterans, increasing public awareness and appreciation of veterans' 
service, and encouraging veterans and their families to express pride 
in such service.
    ``(b) The programs and activities referenced in subsection (a) 
are--
            ``(1) programs to foster patriotism and pride in veterans' 
        service by encouraging veterans and the next of kin of deceased 
        veterans to wear awards and decorations earned by such veterans 
        for the purpose of patriotic observances on Memorial Day, 
        Independence Day, Veterans Day, and such other patriotic 
        observances as the Secretary, in consultation with the 
        Secretary of Defense, may prescribe; and
            ``(2) such other programs and activities as the Secretary 
        may establish by regulation that are consistent with the 
        purposes of paragraph (a) of this section.
    ``(c) Notwithstanding sections 771 and 772, title 10, United States 
Code, the next of kin of a deceased veteran may wear awards or 
decorations earned by the deceased veteran for purposes of such 
programs and activities in connection with Memorial Day, Independence 
Day, and Veterans Day events, or such other patriotic observances as 
the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, may 
prescribe.
            ``(1) For the purpose of this subsection the term--
                    ``(A) `awards or decorations' means any decoration, 
                medal, badge, or ribbon bestowed on an individual or 
                unit; and
                    ``(B) `next of kin' means the surviving spouse or 
                parent of the veteran or any child of the veteran under 
                the age of 18.
            ``(2) The wearing of an award or decoration as authorized 
        in this subsection shall not be a violation of section 704(a), 
        title 18, United States Code.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by adding after section 531 the following new 
item:

``532. Establishment and promotion of programs honoring veterans; 
                            wearing of awards and decorations.''.
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