La. bill targeting stolen valor heads to Senate floor

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Louisiana lawmakers are expected to take up a bill next week that would criminalize fraudulent claims of military service and earned military awards, with penalties ranging from fines to prison time.

Senate Bill 51 passed out of committee with minimal opposition and is headed to the full Senate for a final passage vote. If it clears the Senate, the bill would move to the House before reaching the governor’s desk.

What the bill would do

The measure sets a standard penalty of fines up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail for fraudulent representation of military service or awards. False claims involving top military honors — including the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, or the Purple Heart — could result in fines up to $5,000 and up to one year in jail.

False claims that result in someone receiving a military- or veteran-only benefit could carry fines up to $10,000, up to five years in prison, and full restitution of the benefit received.

Push from veterans affairs secretary

Secretary Charlton Meginley from the La. Department of Veterans Affairs is urging lawmakers to advance the bill.

“As a veteran, you stand by your record, you stand with your record and on your record, and you live with what you did in the military,” Meginley said.

Meginley said Louisiana is one of only 15 states without a stolen valor law. He pointed to cases that prompted the push for state legislation.

“I’m very proud of my record. I know the 252,000 veterans of the state of Louisiana are very proud of their record. And my service means something and their service means something,” Meginley said.

Foxworth case cited

The bill comes months after former Baton Rouge Judge Tiffany Foxworth Roberts was removed from the bench by the Louisiana Supreme Court. Justices ruled in December 2025 that stolen valor claims and allegations of dishonesty about her military service were serious enough to warrant her removal.

“What was interesting about that case was the Supreme Court weighed in and specifically notated that it was a stolen valor issue, which was kind of odd because we didn’t have a stolen valor case or bill on the books,” Meginley said.

Federal law, local enforcement gap

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, said stolen valor is already a federal offense, but that federal prosecution is difficult to secure when the law is violated.

Meginley also cited a case involving an individual who allegedly held a fake Purple Heart and received tangible benefits as a result, including a license plate with a financial value attached.

“This is just a way of protecting the integrity of one’s military service,” Meginley said.

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