Religious Insignia on Dog Tags Act
This bill, titled the Religious Insignia on Dog Tags Act, would require the Department of Defense (DoD) to revise its regulations so that DoD-owned or controlled trademarks can be combined with religious insignia on commercial identification tags (dog tags) and sold by lawful trademark licensees. The instruction is for the Secretary of Defense to review and update DoD Directive 5535.12 and related regulations within 90 days of enactment. The update is retroactively effective as of September 13, 2013. In short, the measure aims to authorize and normalize the inclusion of religious insignia alongside DoD trademarks on dog tags produced and sold through licensed licensees. The bill does not create new spending or programs; rather, it changes regulatory policy to permit a broader use of DoD branding on a specific product (dog tags) by allowing licensed manufacturers to market tags that feature both DoD marks and religious insignia, with effect retroactive to 2013.
Key Points
- 1Requires the Secretary of Defense to review and update DoD Directive 5535.12 and related regulations within 90 days after enactment.
- 2Authorizes trademarks owned or controlled by the DoD to be combined with religious insignia on commercial identification tags (dog tags) and to be sold by lawful trademark licensees.
- 3Establishes a retroactive effective date, deeming the regulatory update to have taken effect on September 13, 2013.
- 4Applies specifically to commercial dog tags and to trademarks owned or controlled by the DoD.
- 5The bill is titled the “Religious Insignia on Dog Tags Act.”