[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 290 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 290


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 26, 2012

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
    To amend title 36, United States Code, to ensure that memorials 
commemorating the service of the United States Armed Forces may contain 
               religious symbols, 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 ``War Memorial Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS AS PART OF MILITARY MEMORIALS.

    (a) Authority.--Chapter 21 of title 36, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 2115. Inclusion of religious symbols as part of military 
              memorials
    ``(a) Inclusion of Religious Symbols Authorized.--To recognize the 
religious background of members of the United States Armed Forces, 
religious symbols may be included as part of--
            ``(1) a military memorial that is established or acquired 
        by the United States Government; or
            ``(2) a military memorial that is not established by the 
        United States Government, but for which the American Battle 
        Monuments Commission cooperated in the establishment of the 
        memorial.
    ``(b) Military Memorial Defined.--In this section, the term 
`military memorial' means a memorial or monument commemorating the 
service of the United States Armed Forces. The term includes works of 
architecture and art described in section 2105(b) of this title.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following:

``2115. Inclusion of religious symbols as part of military 
                            memorials.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives January 24, 2012.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.