Congress Takes Second Crack at "Stolen Valor" Bill

This version is less censorship-y

The second coming of the "Stolen Valor" Act (the Supreme Court struck down the first iteration on First Amendment grounds last term) is on the House's "suspension" calendar today, meaning it will pass with a two-thirds majority vote, without amendment and after 40 minutes of debate.  The bill would create additional federal penalties for "fraudulent" representations concerning military decorations.

Were the bill under consideration the original version of Stolen Valor redux—introduced by Rep. Joe Heck (R-NV) and Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) in 2011—I'd be freaking out.  As I explained back in August, H.R. 1775 and its sister bill, S. 1728, as initially introduced, would be Clint Eastwood-scale disasters for free speech.