[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 50 (Thursday, March 27, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S4539]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      VETERANS' MEMORIAL PRESERVATION AND RECOGNITION ACT OF 2003

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 44, S. 330.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 330) to further the protection and recognition 
     of veterans' memorials, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I am proud to be a cosponsor of this 
measure and commend Senator Campbell for his leadership on this matter. 
This is a measure the Senate passed last year as S. 1644. The Senate's 
action in May, 2002, unfortunately met with resistance in the House of 
Representatives and our bill was not enacted into law last year as it 
should have been.
  Senator Campbell correctly proceeded to reintroduce the bill as S. 
330, earlier this year. The bill provides for two things: highway signs 
to guide visitors to veterans cemeteries and a criminal provision for 
the willful destruction of memorials and cemeteries for our Armed 
Forces veterans.
  I have urged all Senators, Republicans and Democrats, to support this 
modest legislative effort to help honor our Armed Forces veterans. In 
addition, of course, I will continue to support efforts to improve 
medical services, veterans hospitals, and other benefits for the women 
and men who risk and have risked their lives and livelihoods to protect 
all of us.
  I asked the chairman of the Judiciary Committee to include this 
matter on the agenda for Judiciary Committee action last week I thank 
him for accommodating our request and am happy that this bill was 
reported unanimously by the Judiciary Committee to the full Senate. I 
am confident that the Senate will again pass it. I trust that this year 
the House of Representatives will act favorably on this good 
legislation to honor our veterans.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be 
read a third time, and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon 
the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in 
the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 330) was read the third time and passed, as follows:

                                 S. 330

       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 2003''.

     SEC. 2. CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR DESTRUCTION OF VETERANS' 
                   MEMORIALS.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 65 of title 18, United States 
     Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

     ``Sec. 1369. Destruction of veterans' memorials

       ``(a) Whoever, in a circumstance described in subsection 
     (b), willfully injures or destroys, or attempts to injure or 
     destroy, any structure, plaque, statue, or other monument on 
     public property commemorating the service of any person or 
     persons in the armed forces of the United States shall be 
     fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 10 years, or 
     both.
       ``(b) A circumstance described in this subsection is that--
       ``(1) in committing the offense described in subsection 
     (a), the defendant travels or causes another to travel in 
     interstate or foreign commerce, or uses the mail or an 
     instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce; or
       ``(2) the structure, plaque, statue, or other monument 
     described in subsection (a) is located on property owned by, 
     or under the jurisdiction of, the Federal Government.''.
       (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:

``1369. Destruction of veterans' memorials.''.

     SEC. 3. 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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