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Committee Hears First Testimony on Bill Requiring Flags Bought with Public Funds Be Made in U.S.
Summary
House Government Oversight Committee members heard sponsor testimony and member questions at the first hearing for House Bill 223, which would require flags bought with public funds to be made in the United States.
House Government Oversight Committee members heard sponsor testimony and member questions at the first hearing for House Bill 223, a bill that would prohibit state agencies and political subdivisions from using public funds to purchase United States or Ohio flags not made in the United States.
The bill’s sponsors, Representative Ty Matthews and Representative Willis, told the committee the proposal is intended to “honor the significance of our flag as a symbol of freedom, sacrifice, and service” and to “support American jobs and manufacturers by ensuring taxpayer dollars stay in the U.S.” Matthews said the measure “applies to all public entities — counties, municipalities, townships, and state agencies.”
Representative Willis, a joint sponsor and military veteran, said in testimony: “Our flags are powerful symbols of our nation's values, our history, and the sacrifices made to defend our freedoms. They deserve to be made by American hands.” Willis added a personal note about veterans and folded flags, saying the state should give families a flag “that is actually made, an American flag that is made in America.”
Members asked procedural and practical questions. Representative Rader noted a description in the Legislative Service Commission summary that a 1926 law requires flags to be produced by a penal institution in Marysville and asked what the bill would change in practice. The sponsors told the committee that historical estimates suggest about 95% of flags currently purchased by political subdivisions are already made in the United States, and that the bill’s scope is broader because it would apply uniformly to all political subdivisions and state agencies.
Committee members also asked whether any special protocol exists for the flags used in military honors. Representative Claggett asked whether a flag draped over a coffin is held to particular manufacturing standards; Willis answered that he was not aware of a formal manufacturing standard for that use and said the bill is a first step toward ensuring flags are American made. Willis offered to follow up with the Ohio Army National Guard about their practices.
No vote was taken; committee staff concluded the first hearing and said follow-up on specific procurement questions could be provided later.
