Amendment #1 to H1306

Floor Amendment

Mr. Speliotis of Danvers moves to amend the bill moves to amend House, No. 1306 by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting in place thereof the following:-

“Chapter 272 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 73A the following section:-

Section 73B.  (a) For purposes of this section, “commemorative grave marker” shall mean a grave marker, headstone, monument, structure, medallion or other object designed to commemorate the grave of a veteran, police officer or firefighter.

(b) Whoever sells or attempts to sell a commemorative grave marker which has been stolen and which the person knows or should know to be stolen, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $5,000 for a first offense and for a second or subsequent offense by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 5 years or by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than 2 and one-half years and by a fine of not more than $5,000.

(c) Whoever receives, retains or disposes of a commemorative grave marker that the person knows or should know to be stolen, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $5,000; provided, however, that no such penalty shall be imposed upon: (i) a person who receives or retains such commemorative grave marker with the intent to return it to a cemetery, a member of law enforcement, a member of a fire department, a member of the department of veterans’ services, a non-profit veterans’ services group or a veterans’ agent of a town; or (ii) a person who in fact disposes of such commemorative grave marker by returning it to a cemetery, a member of law enforcement, a member of a fire department, a member of the department of veterans’ services, a non-profit veterans’ services group or a veterans’ agent of a town.” And by striking out the title and inserting in place thereof the following title:- “An Act relative to grave markers to commemorate the graves of veterans, police officers and firefighters.”.