PRINTER'S NO. 577
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
567
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY MACKENZIE, BARRAR, BENNINGHOFF, BERNSTINE,
BIZZARRO, BROWN, BURNS, COX, DeLUCA, DiGIROLAMO, EMRICK, FEE,
FREEMAN, GOODMAN, HAHN, HERSHEY, HICKERNELL, HILL-EVANS,
HOHENSTEIN, JAMES, KAUFFMAN, KINSEY, KNOWLES, KORTZ,
LONGIETTI, MARKOSEK, MENTZER, MILLARD, B. MILLER, MOUL, MURT,
NEILSON, PICKETT, POLINCHOCK, PYLE, READSHAW, RYAN, SAINATO,
SAYLOR, SCHLOSSBERG, SONNEY, WARREN AND MULLINS,
FEBRUARY 25, 2019
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, FEBRUARY 25, 2019
AN ACT
Designating the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a Purple Heart
State and August 7 as "Purple Heart Day" in Pennsylvania.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Purple Heart
Act.
Section 2. Legislative findings and declarations.
The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) During major wars from World War I to the present,
32,080 Pennsylvania veterans were killed in combat and
approximately 59,140 were wounded, making those
Pennsylvanians eligible for the Purple Heart Medal.
(2) The mission of the Military Order of the Purple
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Heart, chartered by an act of Congress, is to foster an
environment of goodwill among combat wounded veterans and
their families, to promote patriotism, to support legislative
initiatives and, most importantly, to ensure that we never
forget the sacrifices of veterans killed in action and
wounded in combat.
(3) Twenty-three states across the United States have
honored their military veterans wounded and killed in combat
by proclaiming their states to be Purple Heart states.
(4) The Purple Heart Trail was established in 1992 by
the Military Order of the Purple Heart to be a symbolic trail
throughout all 50 states to commemorate and honor all men and
women who have been wounded or killed in combat while serving
in the United States Armed Forces.
(5) The Purple Heart Trail originates at a monument in
Mt. Vernon, Virginia, which is the burial location of George
Washington.
(6) In Pennsylvania, State Route 45, also known as the
Purple Heart Highway, winds through 100 miles of Huntingdon,
Centre, Union, Northumberland and Montour Counties and is
part of the Purple Heart Trail.
(7) State Route 45 was christened the Purple Heart
Highway because the Route 45 corridor has been home to many
recipients of the Purple Heart.
(8) The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania honors the service
and sacrifices of our nation's men and women in uniform
wounded or killed by the enemy while serving to protect the
freedom enjoyed by all Americans.
Section 3. Purple Heart State.
The Commonwealth is designated as a Purple Heart State.
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Section 4. Purple Heart Day.
August 7 of each year is designated as "Purple Heart Day."
Section 5. Effective date.
This act shall take effect immediately.
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