Read the full stored bill text
House
File
694
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
694
BY
ANDREWS
,
GUSTOFF
,
CISNEROS
,
BEHN
,
FISHER
,
JENEARY
,
and
HENDERSON
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
the
display
of
flags
on
and
in
public
1
buildings,
grounds,
and
vehicles,
and
providing
penalties.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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694
Section
1.
SHORT
TITLE.
This
Act
shall
be
known
and
may
be
1
cited
as
the
“Public
Freedom,
Liberty,
American
Greatness,
and
2
Spirit
Act”
or
the
“Public
FLAGS
Act”.
3
Sec.
2.
Section
1B.3,
Code
2025,
is
amended
to
read
as
4
follows:
5
1B.3
Flags
on
and
in
public
buildings
,
grounds,
and
vehicles
.
6
1.
It
is
the
intent
of
the
general
assembly
that
flags
7
displayed
on
and
in
public
buildings,
grounds,
and
vehicles
8
reflect
civic
values
and
national
and
state
unity.
9
2.
It
shall
be
the
duty
of
any
A
board
of
public
officers
10
charged
with
providing
supplies
for
a
public
building
in
the
11
state
to
shall
provide
a
suitable
state
flag
,
and
it
shall
be
12
the
duty
of
the
custodian
of
that
public
building
to
shall
13
raise
the
flags
of
the
United
States
of
America
and
the
state
14
of
Iowa
,
upon
each
secular
day
when
weather
conditions
are
15
favorable.
16
3.
a.
Except
as
otherwise
provided
in
this
subsection,
on
17
and
in
a
public
building
in
the
state
and
on
the
associated
18
grounds
of
the
public
building,
a
public
entity
shall
only
19
raise
or
display
the
flags
of
the
United
States
of
America,
the
20
state
of
Iowa,
the
United
States
military,
the
national
league
21
of
POW/MIA
families,
a
county,
a
city,
a
township,
a
school
22
or
university,
and
any
other
political
subdivision
or
special
23
district
in
the
state
as
established
pursuant
to
state
or
local
24
law;
the
Gadsden
flag;
and
the
Washington
cruisers
flag.
25
b.
A
vehicle
owned
by
a
state
or
local
governmental
entity
26
shall
not
display
a
flag
other
than
those
listed
in
paragraph
27
“a”
.
28
c.
A
museum
owned
or
operated
by
a
state
or
local
29
governmental
entity
may
display
a
flag
relevant
to
a
30
historical,
geographical,
ethnic,
or
cultural
exhibit
for
an
31
educational
or
commemorative
display.
Displayed
flags
may
32
include
but
are
not
limited
to
the
flags
of
other
nations,
33
Native
American
tribes,
historical
military
units,
and
34
veterans’
organizations.
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d.
A
public
school
or
university
may
display
the
flag
1
of
another
nation
or
ethnic
or
cultural
entity
as
part
of
2
an
instructional
lesson
directly
related
to
the
study
of
3
geography,
history,
or
language.
Such
a
display
shall
be
4
limited
to
the
duration
of
the
instructional
activity
and
shall
5
not
be
a
permanent
or
general
display.
6
e.
A
public
school
or
university
may
display
the
flags
of
7
other
nations
to
recognize
the
cultural
heritage
of
the
student
8
body.
Such
a
display
shall
be
limited
to
a
designated
area
9
and
must
only
include
flags
representing
nations
based
on
the
10
documented
national
origins
of
currently
enrolled
students.
11
The
flag
of
the
United
States
shall
be
included,
and
no
flag
12
shall
be
larger
than
the
flag
of
the
United
States.
The
13
display
shall
be
educational
in
nature
and
shall
not
be
used
14
for
political
advocacy
or
to
promote
a
policy
position.
15
4.
A
person
may
report
an
alleged
violation
of
subsection
3
16
to
the
attorney
general.
If
the
attorney
general
determines
17
a
violation
occurred,
the
attorney
general
shall
provide
18
notice
to
the
public
entity
of
the
violation.
If
the
public
19
entity
fails
to
cure
the
violation
on
or
before
the
third
day
20
after
receiving
the
notice,
the
attorney
general
may
impose
on
21
the
public
entity
a
civil
penalty
not
to
exceed
ten
thousand
22
dollars
per
violation.
Each
day
of
a
continuing
violation
23
constitutes
a
separate
violation.
Civil
penalties
collected
24
under
this
subsection
shall
be
deposited
in
the
veterans
trust
25
fund
established
in
section
35A.13.
26
5.
If
a
public
school,
university,
or
local
governmental
27
entity
repeatedly
violates
subsection
3
or
fails
to
28
comply
after
notice
of
a
violation,
the
state
may
withhold
29
discretionary
moneys,
grants,
or
other
financial
resources
30
until
compliance
is
restored.
31
6.
A
public
official,
administrator,
or
custodian
who
32
willfully
and
repeatedly
violates
subsection
3
may
face
33
disciplinary
action,
including
suspension,
termination,
or
34
removal
from
the
person’s
position,
as
determined
by
the
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person’s
overseeing
authority.
1
EXPLANATION
2
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
3
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
4
This
bill
states
legislative
intent
that
flags
displayed
on
5
and
in
public
buildings,
grounds,
or
vehicles
reflect
civic
6
values
and
national
and
state
unity.
The
bill
provides
that
a
7
public
entity
is
authorized
to
raise
or
display
only
the
flags
8
specified
in
the
bill
on
and
in
a
public
building
and
on
the
9
associated
grounds.
The
bill
also
prohibits
a
vehicle
owned
by
10
a
state
or
local
governmental
entity
from
displaying
any
other
11
flag.
The
bill
provides
certain
exceptions
for
public
museums,
12
schools,
and
universities.
13
The
bill
provides
that
a
public
entity
that
violates
the
14
bill’s
provisions
is
subject
to
a
civil
penalty
of
$10,000
15
for
each
day
that
the
public
entity
is
in
violation.
Civil
16
penalties
collected
by
the
attorney
general
under
the
bill
17
must
be
deposited
in
the
veterans
trust
fund.
The
bill
allows
18
the
state
to
withhold
discretionary
moneys,
grants,
or
other
19
financial
resources
from
a
public
school,
university,
or
local
20
government
that
repeatedly
violates
the
bill’s
provisions
or
21
fails
to
comply
with
the
bill’s
provisions
after
notice.
22
The
bill
provides
that
a
public
official’s,
administrator’s,
23
or
custodian’s
willful
and
repeated
violation
of
the
bill’s
24
provisions
may
be
grounds
for
disciplinary
action,
as
25
determined
by
the
person’s
overseeing
authority.
26
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