[DOCID: f:hr428.110]
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110th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session 110-428
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PURPLE HEART FAMILY EQUITY ACT OF 2007
_______
November 6, 2007.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Conyers, from the Committee on the Judiciary, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 1119]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill
(H.R. 1119) to amend title 36, United States Code, to revise
the congressional charter of the Military Order of the Purple
Heart of the United States of America, Incorporated, to
authorize associate membership in the corporation for the
spouse of a recipient of the Purple Heart medal, having
considered the same, report favorably thereon with amendments
and recommend that the bill as amended do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
The Amendment.................................................... 2
Purpose and Summary.............................................. 2
Background and Need for the Legislation.......................... 2
Hearings......................................................... 3
Committee Consideration.......................................... 3
Committee Votes.................................................. 3
Committee Oversight Findings..................................... 3
New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures........................ 3
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate........................ 3
Performance Goals and Objectives................................. 4
Constitutional Authority Statement............................... 4
Advisory on Earmarks............................................. 4
Section-by-Section Analysis...................................... 5
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............ 5
The Amendment
The amendments are as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Purple Heart Family Equity Act of
2007''.
SEC. 2. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP IN THE MILITARY ORDER OF THE PURPLE HEART
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED.
Section 140503(b) of title 36, United States Code, is amended by
striking ``parents and lineal descendants'' and inserting ``the
parents, spouse, siblings, and lineal descendants''.
Amend the title so as to read:
A bill to amend title 36, United States Code, to revise
the congressional charter of the Military Order of the Purple
Heart of the United States of America, Incorporated, to
authorize associate membership in the corporation for the
spouse and siblings of a recipient of the Purple Heart medal.
Purpose and Summary
Under the existing Federal charter of the Military Order of
the Purple Heart (MOPH), members of the MOPH are only allowed
to invite parents and lineal descendants to join the MOPH as
associate members. H.R. 1119 amends the MOPH's Federal charter
to allow members to invite their spouses and siblings to join
as associate members both for male and female recipients of the
Purple Heart medal.
Background and Need for the Legislation
The Purple Heart is awarded to members of the United States
Armed Forces--male and female--who are wounded in battle and to
the next of kin in the name of those who are killed in action
or die of wounds received in action. It is specifically a
combat decoration.
The organization now known as the ``Military Order of the
Purple Heart'' (MOPH) was formed in 1932 for the protection and
mutual interest of all who have received the decoration. Wives,
mothers, daughters, step-daughters and adopted daughters of
Purple Heart recipients are eligible to belong to the Ladies'
Auxiliary of MOPH, which also does important work nationally
and locally in veterans hospitals.
When MOPH was federally chartered in 1958, very few women
had received the Purple Heart. Women recipients of the Purple
Heart currently do not have the same benefits as their male
counterparts. Under the current law, male members can invite
their wives to join the Ladies Auxiliary of the Purple Heart--
but there is no place in the organization for husbands of
Purple Heart recipients. To date, the MOPH has identified at
least 97 female Purple Heart recipients who have joined and who
are not enjoying the full benefits of membership that they
deserve.
H.R. 1119, the ``Purple Heart Family Equity Act of 2007,''
seeks to fully honor the women of the Armed Forces who have won
the Purple Heart defending our nation. Specifically, H.R. 1119
adjusts MOPH's Federal charter to allow members to invite their
spouses to join as associate members both for male and female
recipients of the Purple Heart. With this minor update to the
Federal charter, the husbands of female members may join the
organization. H.R. 1119 is endorsed and fully supported by the
Military Order of the Purple Heart.
H.R. 1119 also allows members to invite their siblings to
join as associate members so that they too can take part in the
full honor of their brothers and sisters who fought so bravely
for our country and received a Purple Heart.
Hearings
The Committee on the Judiciary held no hearings on H.R.
1119.
Committee Consideration
On July 27, 2007, the Subcommittee on Immigration,
Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law
met in open session and ordered the bill, H.R. 1119, favorably
reported, with an amendment, by a voice vote, a quorum being
present. On August 2, 2007, the Committee met in open session
and ordered the bill, H.R. 1119, favorably reported without
amendment, by a voice vote, a quorum being present.
Committee Votes
In compliance with clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, the Committee advises that there
were no recorded votes during the Committee's consideration of
H.R. 1119.
Committee Oversight Findings
In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules
of the House of Representatives, the Committee advises that the
findings and recommendations of the Committee, based on
oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1) of rule X of the
Rules of the House of Representatives, are incorporated in the
descriptive portions of this report.
New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures
Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives is inapplicable because this legislation does
not provide new budgetary authority or increased tax
expenditures.
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate
In compliance with clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules
of the House of Representatives, the Committee sets forth, with
respect to the bill, H.R. 1119, the following estimate and
comparison prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, August 16, 2007.
Hon. John Conyers, Jr.,
Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1119, the Purple
Heart Family Equity Act of 2007.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew
Schmit.
Sincerely,
Peter R. Orszag,
Director.
Enclosure.
H.R. 1119--Purple Heart Family Equity Act of 2007
H.R. 1119 would authorize the Congressionally chartered
Military Order of the Purple Heart of the United States of
America, Incorporated, to grant associate membership status in
that organization to the spouses and siblings of purple heart
recipients. Because Congressionally chartered organizations
listed in title 36 of the U.S. Code are not agencies of the
U.S. Government, CBO estimates this bill would have no impact
on the federal budget.
H.R. 1119 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and
would impose no costs on State, local, or tribal governments.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew Schmit.
This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Assistant
Director for Budget Analysis.
Performance Goals and Objectives
The Committee states that pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
goal of H.R. 1119 is to provide equity for female Purple Heart
recipients so that their spouses can also participate in the
Military Order of the Purple Heart. H.R. 1119 does so by
amending the Order's Federal charter to allow for associate
membership of spouses and siblings in addition to parents and
lineal descendants already covered under current law.
Constitutional Authority Statement
Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the Committee finds the authority for
this legislation in article I, section 8, clause 18 of the
Constitution.
Advisory on Earmarks
In accordance with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, H.R. 1119 does not contain any
congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff
benefits as defined in clause 9(d), 9(e), or 9(f) of rule XXI.
Section-by-Section Analysis
The following discussion describes the bill as reported by
the Committee.
Sec. 1. Short title. Section 1 sets forth the short title
of the bill as the Purple Heart Family Equity Act of 2007.
Sec. 2. Associate Membership in the Military Order of the
Purple Heart of the United States of America, Incorporated.
Section 2 amends the charter of the Military Order of the
Purple Heart to allow for spouses and siblings to join the
Military Order of the Purple Heart as associate members.
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new
matter is printed in italic, existing law in which no change is
proposed is shown in roman):
SECTION 140503 OF TITLE 36, UNITED STATES CODE
Sec. 140503. Membership
(a) * * *
(b) Associate Members.--The corporation may extend
eligibility for membership as associate members to [parents and
lineal descendants] the parents, spouse, siblings, and lineal
descendants of an individual described in subsection (a) of
this section on terms provided in its constitution and bylaws.
* * * * * * *