The "One Flag for All Act" mandates that only the United States flag can be flown on the exterior and publicly accessible areas of federal buildings, with specific exceptions for certain flags like those of POW/MIAs, visiting diplomats, branches of the Armed Forces, and historical or commemorative significance.
Roger Marshall
Senator
KS
The "One Flag for All Act" generally prohibits the display of flags other than the United States flag on the exterior and publicly accessible areas of federal buildings, military installations, and U.S. embassies. It includes exceptions for flags such as the POW/MIA flag, flags of visiting diplomats, state flags displayed by Members of Congress, flags representing branches of the Armed Forces, flags of historical significance, and flags representing religious organizations or churches during religious events at military installations. Additional exceptions are made for flags representing public safety, special national observances, a Federal agency, an Indian Tribe, and the State, territory, county, city, or local jurisdiction where the covered public building is located.
One Flag Only: New Bill Limits Flags on Federal Property
The "One Flag for All Act" is pretty straightforward: it bans any flag other than the American flag from being flown or displayed on the outside of most federal buildings, and in publicly accessible areas inside. Think courthouses, congressional buildings, military bases, and even U.S. embassies abroad. Section 2 of the bill lays it all out, defining "covered public buildings" pretty broadly.
What's the Deal?
The main idea is to make the U.S. flag the only one you see on federal property, with some exceptions. The bill's authors are aiming for a unified, patriotic look. But, it also means other flags – representing various causes, groups, or identities – won't be allowed in these spaces. This is where the freedom of expression concerns come in. It's a trade-off: national unity versus individual expression.
The Fine Print: Exceptions
Now, it's not a total ban. Section 2 also lists a bunch of exceptions. We're talking flags for visiting diplomats, state flags in Congressional offices (because, politics), military branch flags, and historical flags like the Betsy Ross flag. Also flags for public safety, 9/11 memorials and flags representing religious organization during religious events at military installations. Even flags for federal agencies and Indian Tribes get a pass. Plus, flags of the state, county, or city where the building is located are allowed. So, it's not quite as restrictive as it first sounds.
Real-World Ripple Effects
For most folks, this won't change much. You'll still see Old Glory flying, just like always. But for groups who use flags to make a statement, it's a different story. Imagine a group wanting to raise awareness about a specific issue – their flag won't be flying outside a federal building anymore.
For example: A local LGBTQ+ organization won't be able to display a Pride flag outside a federal courthouse during Pride Month. Or, a veteran's group can display a flag representing their branch of the Armed Forces, but not a flag protesting veteran homelessness.
The Kicker
This bill raises some questions. While it aims for unity, the exceptions could lead to some head-scratching. Like, what counts as a "historical" flag? Who decides? And will enforcement be consistent, or will some flags get more leeway than others? It's one of those bills that sounds simple on the surface, but the details could get messy. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out, and how it fits in with existing laws about freedom of expression on government property.