Valor Earned Not Stolen Act of 2025

This legislation raises the maximum jail time for lying about earning a military medal in order to get money, property, or other tangible benefits. The penalty would go from up to 1 year to up to 3 years. This covers false claims about any military decoration, the Medal of Honor, and certain combat badges. The goal is to deter “stolen valor” schemes that cheat people and programs meant to honor real service members .

It also tells the Justice Department to study how often people have received government money or benefits by falsely claiming these awards and to report back with policy ideas to fix the problem. The study must start within 90 days after the law takes effect, and a report to Congress is due within 180 days after that.

• Who is affected: People who lie about having military medals to get benefits; veterans and the public who may be targeted by scams; federal agencies that award or oversee benefits.
• What changes: Maximum prison time increases to 3 years for these false claims; a federal study and report on fraud and solutions are required .
• When: Penalties apply after the law takes effect; the study begins within 90 days and the report is due within 180 days of enactment.