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HB0347 • 2026

Adoption and Display of Flags by Governmental Entities

Adoption and Display of Flags by Governmental Entities

Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Borrero ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Barnaby
Last action
2026-03-13
Official status
House - Died in Government Operations Subcommittee
Effective date
2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify how penalties will be enforced.

Adoption and Display of Flags by Governmental Entities

This bill sets rules for governmental entities in Florida about which flags they can display on their property.

What This Bill Does

  • Defines what a 'governmental entity' is, including state, county, municipality, special district, public school, college system institution, and university.
  • Prohibits governmental entities from displaying any flag not listed in the bill on their real property.
  • Lists specific flags that governmental entities are allowed to display, such as the U.S. flag, state flag, military branch flags, POW-MIA flag, Indian tribe recognized by the United States flag, and others.
  • Requires governmental entities to place the U.S. flag in a prominent position superior to any other flag on display.
  • Prohibits local governments from adopting ordinances or regulations that allow their own flags to contain political, racial, gendered, or sexual symbols.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Governmental entities in Florida
  • Local governments in Florida

Terms To Know

governmental entity
A state, county, municipality, special district, or other political subdivision, including public schools and universities.
local government
A city, county, municipality, or other political subdivision of Florida.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify which flags are considered historically significant.
  • It is unclear how the penalties for violating flag display rules will be enforced.
  • The bill only applies to governmental entities in Florida and does not affect private property.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-13 House

    • Died in Government Operations Subcommittee

  2. 2026-01-13 House

    • 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)

  3. 2025-11-12 House

    • Referred to Government Operations Subcommittee • Referred to Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee • Referred to State Affairs Committee • Now in Government Operations Subcommittee

  4. 2025-11-05 House

    • Filed

Official Summary Text

Adoption and Display of Flags by Governmental Entities; Prohibits governmental entity from displaying, placing, or causing to be placed certain flags on real property; specifies flags governmental entity may display on such property; provides requirements for governmental entity that displays flag of United States; prohibits local government from adopting certain ordinances or regulations relating to flag of local government; provides that certain ordinances & regulations are void.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB 347 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb347-00
Page 1 of 4
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to the adoption and display of flags 2
by governmental entities; creating s. 256.18, F.S.; 3
defining the term "governmental entity"; prohibiting a 4
governmental entity from displaying, placing, or 5
causing to be placed certain flags on real property; 6
providing a penalty; specifying flags a governmental 7
entity may display on such property; providing 8
requirements for a governmental entity that displays 9
the flag of the United States; creating s. 256.19, 10
F.S.; defining the term "local government"; 11
prohibiting a local government from adopting certain 12
ordinances or regulations relating to the flag of the 13
local government; providing that certain ordinances 14
and regulations are void; providing an effective date. 15
16
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 17
18
Section 1. Section 256.18, Florida Statutes, is created to 19
read: 20
256.18 Governmental entities; display of flags.— 21
(1) As used in this section, the term "governmental 22
entity" means a state, county, municipality, special district, 23
or other political subdivision, whether executive, judicial, or 24
legislative, including, but not limited to, a department, 25

HB 347 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

division, board, bureau, commission, authority, or district, or 26
an agency thereof, or a public school, Florida College System 27
institution, state university, or associated board. 28
(2)(a) A governmental entity may not: 29
1. Display any flag on real property other than a flag 30
listed in subsection (3). 31
2. Place or cause to be placed a flag authorized to be 32
displayed under subsection (3) which contains or depicts any 33
word, figure, mark, picture, design, drawing, symbol, or 34
advertisement of any nature which represents political 35
partisanship, political ideology, race, gender, or sexual 36
orientation. 37
(b) A governmental entity that violates this subsection is 38
liable for a civil fine in the amount of $500 per day. Proceeds 39
from fines collected by the Department of State shall be 40
deposited into the General Revenue Fund. 41
(3) A governmental entity may display on real property: 42
(a) The flag of the United States. 43
(b) The state flag. 44
(c) The flag of another state or another country. 45
(d) The flag of a city, county, municipality, or other 46
political subdivision of this state. 47
(e) The flag of a branch of the United States Armed 48
Forces. 49
(f) A POW-MIA flag pursuant to this chapter. 50

HB 347 2026

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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

(g) The flag of an Indian tribe recognized by the United 51
States. 52
(h) The official flag of a public school, Florida College 53
System institution, or state university. 54
(i) A flag of historical significance to the government of 55
the United States or this state. 56
(j) The official flag of the United States Paralympic 57
Committee, the International Olympic Committee, or the 58
International Paralympic Committee. 59
(k) The Olympic flag or Paralympic flag representing games 60
that have occurred or will occur in this state. 61
(l) The flag of any sporting organization that is hosting, 62
has hosted, or will host a sporting event in this state. 63
(4) A governmental entity that displays the United States 64
flag must display the flag in a prominent position that is 65
superior to any other flag on display. 66
Section 2. Section 256.19, Florida Statutes, is created to 67
read: 68
256.19 Local government flags; prohibited acts.— 69
(1) As used in this section, the term "local government" 70
means a city, county, municipality, or other political 71
subdivision of this state. 72
(2) A local government may not adopt an ordinance or 73
regulation that authorizes the flag of the local government to 74
contain or depict any word, figure, mark, picture, design, 75

HB 347 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb347-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

drawing, symbol, or advertisement of any nature which represents 76
political partisanship, political ideology, race, gender, or 77
sexual orientation. 78
(3) Any existing or future ordinance or regulation adopted 79
by a local government which is in conflict with subsection (2) 80
is void. 81
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 82