The House Rules and Ethics Committee recently advanced a bill 16-0 that would prohibit a political candidate running for public office from claiming military service or having military service decorations without evidence, often called stolen valor.
Rep. Pat Maney (R-Fort Walton Beach) spoke on his bill to the committee. Rep. Maney served in the U.S. Army from 1970-2007.
"This is a short, simple bill dealing with stolen honor. What it does is it just simply prohibits anybody who's an employee or candidate, a public officer of some sort, prohibits them from claiming to have military decorations or to have served in the armed forces," Maney said. "And it provides a mechanism for them to receive a civil penalty and how that can be collected."
Rep. Michelle Salzman (R-Escambia County) praised Maney for the bill.
"I get uncomfortable whenever people put veteran on certain things because one veteran does not equal another, and what is a veteran mean? There is just a lot to it. And a lot of times veterans are more critical of one another than civilians are," Salzman said.
"At the same time, there's a lot of honor that comes into each one of these ribbons, each one of these conflicts that the ribbons are for, so I'm grateful that you're doing this bill. I think that there needs to be some clarity and some line drawn in the sand. It's used too much," Salzman continued.
Retired US Army Colonel and Miami Businessman Emilio T. Gonzalez, who is rumored to be considering a run for Mayor of the City of Miami, also expressed his disdain for individuals who falsely claim their military service.
“Anyone who falsely claims military service to manipulate voters or increase their standing in the community should be held accountable—period. Miami is home to thousands of proud veterans and military families.This bill is not just common sense; it’s a long-overdue protection for our veterans and the integrity of the political process” said Gonzalez.
The Florida Senate passed an identical bill 39-0 last Wednesday. Sen. Don Gaetz (R-Pensacola) sponsored the bill (SB 402) in the Senate.
A comparable Senate bill was filed by Sen. Tom Wright. That bill (SB 402) is currently on the Senate floor.
If fully passed, HB 399/SB 402 would take effect on July 1.
