| 1 | 1 | | |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | HB 901 2024 |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | hb0901-00 |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | Page 1 of 2 |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | 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 |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | A bill to be entitled 1 |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | An act relating to the display of flags by 2 |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | governmental entities; creating s. 256.045, F.S.; 3 |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | providing a definition; prohibiting certain 4 |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | governmental entities from erecting or displaying 5 |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | certain flags; requiring the governmental entity to 6 |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | remain neutral in certain circumstances; providing 7 |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | applicability; requiring certain governmental entities 8 |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | to display the United States flag in a certain 9 |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | position; providing an effective date. 10 |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | 11 |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12 |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | 13 |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | Section 1. Section 256.045, Florida Statutes, is created 14 |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | to read: 15 |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | 256.045 Display of flags; governmental agencies, local 16 |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | governments, or other units of local government. — 17 |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | (1) For purposes of this section, the term "governmental 18 |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | entity" means a governmental agency, a local government, or 19 |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | another unit of local government and includes public schools, 20 |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | public colleges, and public universities. 21 |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | (2)(a) A governmental entity may not erect or display a 22 |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | flag that represent a political viewpoint, including, but not 23 |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | limited to, a politically partisan, racial, sexual orientation 24 |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | and gender, or political ideology viewpoint. The governmental 25 |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | HB 901 2024 |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | hb0901-00 |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | Page 2 of 2 |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | 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 |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | entity must remain ne utral when representing political 26 |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | viewpoints in displaying or erecting a flag. 27 |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | (b) This subsection does not limit the ability of: 28 |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | 1. A private individual to express private speech or 29 |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | viewpoints or exercise rights protected by the First Amendment 30 |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | to the United States Constitution. 31 |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | 2. A governmental entity to display or erect a flag 32 |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | required or authorized by general law. 33 |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | (3) A governmental entity that displays the United States 34 |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | flag must display the United States flag in a prominent position 35 |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | that is superior to any other flag that is also displayed. 36 |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 37 |
|---|