Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Flags And Symbols Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee introduces bill to limit flags in government offices, excludes schools in amendment
Summary
The House State Affairs Committee voted to introduce RS 31,956, a proposal to restrict which flags may be displayed in government offices; the committee approved an amendment to exclude schools, colleges and universities and to make the rule effective upon passage and approval.
Representative Heather Scott, R.-District 2, told the House State Affairs Committee that RS 31,956 would "allow governments to only display certain types of flags" and set policy on which flags should appear in government offices.
The measure lists permissible flags as the United States flag, an official flag of a government entity, official flags of any state, official flags of military branches and units, and the POW/MIA flag as referenced in "Code 6,000,723.03," according to Scott's presentation.
The bill drew procedural and substantive questions from committee members. Representative Crane asked how RS 31,956 differed from other flag bills pending in the legislature. Representative Scott said she intended this version to exclude schools, colleges and universities so decisions about school displays would be handled "by the people that deal with schools, universities and colleges." Representative Boyle asked whether the measure meant public schools specifically and whether the effective date could be changed from a summer date; the committee substituted language to make the rule effective "upon passage and approval."
Representative Vito Barbieri moved to introduce RS 31,956 with edits that (1) add the phrase "other than a school, college, or university" after the word "state" in the relevant sentence and (2) replace the July effective date with "full force and effect upon passage and approval." Barbieri read the edits into the record. Representative Achilles said he agreed with the intent of the proposal during the discussion. The committee approved the motion by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.
The committee discussion repeatedly framed RS 31,956 as limited to local and state government offices and not intended to change policy for educational institutions. Committee members noted there are multiple flag bills in the legislature and that this version was explicitly carved out to leave school policy to other code or committees.
The motion to introduce RS 31,956 with the specified edits was carried by the committee and the measure was introduced into the record.
