This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Politics & Government

Dearborn Rep. Darany Introduces Veteran-Focused Legislation

The bills would make it a crime to falsely claim military status, and allow veteran status on state IDs.

Dearborn state Rep. George Darany this month introduced two pieces of legislation aimed at verifying veteran status.

Darany, who began his second term as state representative in 2013, announced in a statement that the legislation aims to "help protect and assist our veterans."

  • House Bill 4020 would create the "Stolen Valor Law," which would prohibit and penalize the misrepresentation of a person's current or former military status.
  • House Bill 4022 would allow veterans to have "veteran" designation put on their Michigan driver's license or ID card.

Both bills were introduced by Rep. Darany on Jan. 22. House Bill 4020 was referred to the House Committee on Criminal Justice and House Bill 4022 was referred to the House Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs.

Find out what's happening in Dearbornwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Stolen Valor Act introduced by Darany complements similar federal legislation introduced in U.S. Congress earlier this month.

Both bills aim to stop people from using a false claim of military or veteran status to obtain discounts or special services offered by a number of businesses throughout the country.

Find out what's happening in Dearbornwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Complementing that legislation, HB 4022 would make it easier for Michigan veterans to show their status.

"Our brave military members and veterans have showcased true devotion to our country, and it is imperative that we do everything we can to respond to their needs," Darany said in a statement. "These heroic individuals should not have to face unnecessary obstacles when they have already sacrificed so much to protect our freedoms."

"Michigan is home to more than 650,000 veterans," he added. "These bills will send a clear signal to our military men and women and our veterans that the people of Michigan honor and are truly grateful for their service to our country."

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?