The Stars and Stripes Commitment Act.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 312

Short Title: The Stars and Stripes Commitment Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Craven, Jones, and Britt (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 18, 2025
*S312-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO SCHEDULE R ECITATION OF THE PLE DGE OF ALLEGIANCE AT THE 2
BEGINNING OF THE SCH OOL DAY AND TO REQUI RE RECITATION OF THE 3
PLEDGE AT STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND GOVERNING BODY MEETINGS. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
6
PART I. REQUIRE PLED GE OF ALLEGIANCE TO BE SCHEDULED AT THE 7
BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL DAY 8
SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 115C-47(29a) reads as rewritten: 9
"(29a) To Require the Display of the United States and North Carolina Flags, and to 10
Require the Recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. – Local boards of 11
education shall adopt policies to (i) require the display of the United States 12
and North Carolina flags in ea ch classroom, when available, (ii) require that 13
recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance be scheduled on a daily basis, basis 14
within one hour of the beginning of the instructional day, and (iii) provide 15
age-appropriate instruction on the meaning and historic al origins of the flag 16
and the Pledge of Allegiance. These policies shall not compel any person to 17
stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. If flags are donated 18
or are otherwise available, flags shall be displayed in each classroom." 19
SECTION 1.(b) G.S. 115C-150.12C(23), as enacted by S.L. 2023 -10, reads as 20
rewritten: 21
"(23) Display of the United States and North Carolina Flags and the Recitation of 22
the Pledge of Allegiance. – The board of trustees shall adopt policies to (i) 23
require the d isplay of the United States and North Carolina flags in each 24
classroom when available, (ii) require that recitation of the Pledge of 25
Allegiance be scheduled on a daily basis, daily basis within one hour of the 26
beginning of the instructional day, and (iii) provide age -appropriate 27
instruction on the meaning and historical origins of the flag and the Pledge of 28
Allegiance. These policies shall not compel any person to stand, salute the 29
flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. If flags are donated or are otherw ise 30
available, flags shall be displayed in each classroom." 31
SECTION 1.(c) G.S. 115C-218.80 reads as rewritten: 32
"§ 115C-218.80. Display of the United States and North Carolina flags and the recitation 33
of the Pledge of Allegiance. 34
A charter school shall (i) display the United States and North Carolina flags in each classroom 35
when available, (ii) require the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance on a daily basis, daily basis 36
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 312-First Edition
within one hour of the beginning of the instructional day, and (iii) provide age -appropriate 1
instruction on the meaning and historical origins of the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. A 2
charter school shall not compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of 3
Allegiance. If flags are donated or are otherwise availabl e, flags shall be displayed in each 4
classroom." 5
SECTION 1.(d) G.S. 115C-238.66 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 6
"(23) Recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance . – A regional school shall schedule 7
recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance on a daily basis within one hour of the 8
beginning of the instructional day. A regional school shall not compel any 9
person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance." 10
SECTION 1.(e) G.S. 116-69.1 reads as rewritten: 11
"§ 116-69.1. Display of the United States and North Carolina flags and the recitation of the 12
Pledge of Allegiance. 13
The school shall (i) display the United States and North Carolina flags in each classroom 14
when available, (ii) require the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance on a daily basis, daily basis 15
within one hour of the beginning of the instructional day, and (iii) provide instruction on the 16
meaning and historical origins of the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. The school shall not 17
compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. If flags are donated 18
or are otherwise available, flags shall be displayed in each classroom." 19
SECTION 1.(f) G.S. 116-235(i) reads as rewritten: 20
"(i) The Display of the United States and North Carolina Flags and th e Recitation of the 21
Pledge of Allegiance. – The Board of Trustees shall adopt policies to require (i) the display of 22
the United States and North Carolina flags in each classroom when available, (ii) the recitation 23
of the Pledge of Allegiance on a daily basis, daily basis within one hour of the beginning of the 24
instructional day, and (iii) the instruction on the meaning and historical origins of the flag and 25
the Pledge of Allegiance. These policies shall not compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or 26
recite the Pledge of Allegiance. If flags are donated or are otherwise available, flags shall be 27
displayed in each classroom." 28
SECTION 1.(g) G.S. 116-239.8(b) is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 29
"(26) Display of the United States and North Carolina flags and the recitation of the 30
Pledge of Allegiance. – Laboratory schools shall schedule recitation of the 31
Pledge of Allegiance on a daily basis within one hour of the beginning of the 32
instructional day." 33
34
PART II. REQUIRE REC ITATION OF PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AT STATE 35
BOARD OF EDUCATION AND GOVERNING BODY MEETINGS 36
SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 115C-11 reads as rewritten: 37
"§ 115C-11. Organization and internal procedures of Board. 38
… 39
(b) Regular Meetings of Board. – The regular meetings of the Board shall be held each 40
month on a day certain, as determined by the Board. The Board shall determine the hour of the 41
meeting, which may be adjourned from day to day, or to a day certain, until the business before 42
the Board has been completed. 43
(b1) Annual meeting with the St ate Board of Community Colleges and the Board of 44
Governors of The University of North Carolina. Carolina. – The State Board of Education shall 45
meet with the State Board of Community Colleges and the Board of Governors of The University 46
of North Carolina at least once a year to discuss educational matters of mutual interest and to 47
recommend to the General Assembl y such policies as are appropriate to encourage the 48
improvement of public education at every level in this State. The meeting in 1987 and every three 49
years thereafter shall be hosted by the University Board of Governors, the meeting in 1988 and 50
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 312-First Edition Page 3
every three years thereafter shall be hosted by the State Board of Education, and the meeting in 1
1989 and every three years thereafter shall be hosted by the State Board of Community Colleges. 2
(b2) Pledge of Allegiance. – Every regular and special meeting of the Boar d shall begin 3
with recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, in the manner provided by 4 U.S.C. § 4. This policy 4
shall not compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. 5
…." 6
SECTION 2.(b) Article 7B of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by 7
adding a new Part to read: 8
"Part 2. Duties of Governing Bodies of Public School Units. 9
"§ 115C-76.10. Pledge of Allegiance. 10
Every meeting of a governing body of a public school unit shall begin with recitation of the 11
Pledge of Allegiance, in the manner provided by 4 U.S.C. § 4. This policy shall not compel any 12
person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance." 13
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PART III. EFFECTIVE DATE 15
SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with 16
the 2025-2026 school year. 17