Veterans' Memorial Preservation and Recognition Act of 2003

Veterans' Memorial Preservation and Recognition Act of 2003 - Establishes criminal penalties for willfully injuring or destroying or attempting to injure or destroy any structure, plaque, statue, or other monument on public property commemorating the service of any person(s) in the U.S. armed forces.

Requires that veterans cemeteries be treated as sites permitting supplemental guide signs on Federal-aid highways.

[108th Congress Public Law 29]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


[DOCID: f:publ029.108]

[[Page 117 STAT. 772]]

Public Law 108-29
108th Congress

                                 An Act


 
 To further the protection and recognition of veterans' memorials, and 
         for other purposes. <<NOTE: May 29, 2003 -  [S. 330]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Veterans' 
Memorial Preservation and Recognition Act of 2003. 18 USC 1369 note.>> 

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. <<NOTE: 23 USC 109 note.>> 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.

[[Page 117 STAT. 773]]

    (b) Applicability.--Subsection (a) shall apply to an agreement 
entered into before, on, or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

    Approved May 29, 2003.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 330:
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HOUSE REPORTS: No. 108-112, Pt. 1 (Comm. on the Judiciary).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 149 (2003):
            Mar. 27, considered and passed Senate.
            May 20, considered and passed House.

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