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 TLSB 1467YH (11) 91 sc/ns
H.F. 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. 35 -1- LSB 1467YH (11) 91 sc/ns 1/ 3
H.F. 694 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 persons position, as determined by the 35 -2- LSB 1467YH (11) 91 sc/ns 2/ 3
H.F. 694 persons overseeing authority. 1 EXPLANATION 2 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 3 the explanations 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 bills 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 bills provisions or 21 fails to comply with the bills provisions after notice. 22 The bill provides that a public officials, administrators, 23 or custodians willful and repeated violation of the bills 24 provisions may be grounds for disciplinary action, as 25 determined by the persons overseeing authority. 26 -3- LSB 1467YH (11) 91 sc/ns 3/ 3