The Florida Senate unanimously passed the "stolen valor" measure (SB 402) on Thursday, making the act a third-degree felony for anyone misrepresenting their military service, including wearing unauthorized uniforms.
Supporters call the legislation a win for all military service members—saying it protects the “sanctity of the uniform.”
“We have to protect the sanctity of the uniform and make sure they are represented correctly,” Brevard Republican Senator Tom Wright said as he championed the measure.
Sen. Wright said the bill would amend state statues to consolidate all military branches into one single classification under Florida’s stolen valor law.
Under the bill, anyone caught lying about their military service or wearing a service uniform with medals and awards that they never received, could face a third-degree felony.
Wright, in a recent Senate committee, pointed to examples where people in his district posed as military veterans and started taking money as part of a fake charity. He said if passed, his bill would put an end to such acts.
“Men are wearing fatigues and claim to be veterans and they’re not," he said. "They are collecting money for veterans, and I have talked to the store managers of both cases, and they’ve thrown them off the property."
Wright’s bill would apply to people wearing service uniforms as part of a Halloween costume. But the bill does give performing actors a pass.
A similar measure (SB 348) that specifically takes aim at public officials using stolen valor to win elections also cleared the Senate floor.
Retired U.S. Army soldier and Tampa Republican Sen. Jay Collins is one of the lawmakers behind that proposal. He told the Senate committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security that stolen valor has been a recurring issue.
“If people go around wearing those medals taken those opportunities and saying they are something they are not, it cheapens that service in every way shape and form," said Collins.
Under SB 348, elected officials who engage in stolen valor could face a $25,000 fine and be removed from their office by the Governor.
