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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1257 FILED ON: 1/14/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3839 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Carole A. Fiola and Hannah Kane |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act relative to recognition of the "Honor and Remember" flag in the Commonwealth. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Carole A. Fiola6th Bristol1/14/2025Hannah Kane11th Worcester1/14/2025Kimberly N. Ferguson1st Worcester2/24/2025Bradley H. Jones, Jr.20th Middlesex1/29/2025Brian W. Murray10th Worcester1/22/2025John C. VelisHampden and Hampshire3/10/2025Steven George Xiarhos5th Barnstable1/25/2025 1 of 3 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1257 FILED ON: 1/14/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3839 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representatives Fiola of Fall River and Kane of Shrewsbury, a petition (accompanied by bill, |
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| 19 | 19 | | House, No. 3839) of Carole A. Fiola, Hannah Kane and others for legislation relative to |
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| 20 | 20 | | recognition of the "Honor and Remember" flag in the Commonwealth. Veterans and Federal |
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| 21 | 21 | | Affairs. |
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| 22 | 22 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 23 | 23 | | SEE HOUSE, NO. 3498 OF 2023-2024.] |
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| 24 | 24 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 25 | 25 | | _______________ |
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| 26 | 26 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 28 | 28 | | _______________ |
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| 29 | 29 | | An Act relative to recognition of the "Honor and Remember" flag in the Commonwealth. |
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| 30 | 30 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 31 | 31 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 32 | 32 | | 1 Chapter 2 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:- |
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| 33 | 33 | | 2 Section 64. (a) The Honor and Remember Flag created by Honor and Remember, Inc. |
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| 34 | 34 | | 3shall be designated as the symbol of the Commonwealth’s concern and commitment to honoring |
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| 35 | 35 | | 4and remembering the lives of all members of the United States Armed Forces who have lost their |
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| 36 | 36 | | 5lives while serving, or as a result of service, and their families. The Honor and Remember Flag’s |
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| 37 | 37 | | 6red field shall represent the blood shed by brave men and women who sacrificed their lives for |
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| 38 | 38 | | 7freedom; the Flag’s white field and border shall recognize the purity of that sacrifice; the Flag’s |
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| 39 | 39 | | 8blue star shall be a symbol of the active service in military conflicts that dates back to World |
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| 40 | 40 | | 9War I; the Flag’s gold star shall signify the ultimate sacrifice of a warrior in active service who 2 of 3 |
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| 41 | 41 | | 10will not return home and shall reflect the value of the life given; the folded Flag shall highlight |
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| 42 | 42 | | 11this nation’s final tribute to a fallen service member and a family’s sacrifice; and the Flag’s |
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| 43 | 43 | | 12flame shall symbolize the eternal spirit of the departed. The Flag shall be a unifying symbol |
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| 44 | 44 | | 13recognizing this nation’s solemn debt to the estimated 1.6 million fallen service members |
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| 45 | 45 | | 14throughout history and the families and communities who mourn their loss. |
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| 46 | 46 | | 15 (b) When flown on the same pole or pole formation as other flags, The Honor and |
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| 47 | 47 | | 16Remember flag shall be flown beneath any American Flag, flag of the Commonwealth, or |
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| 48 | 48 | | 17Prisoners of War/Missing in Action flag that may also be flown on said pole or formation. The |
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| 49 | 49 | | 18Honor and Remember flag shall never be larger than the American flag flown on the same pole |
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| 50 | 50 | | 19or in the same formation of poles. |
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| 51 | 51 | | 20 (c) The Honor and Remember Flag should be in good condition if flown, free from rips, |
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| 52 | 52 | | 21stains, or significant fading. |
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| 53 | 53 | | 22 (d) The Honor and Remember Flag shall be displayed by those wishing to honor and |
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| 54 | 54 | | 23remember the lives of all members of the United States Armed Forces who have lost their lives |
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| 55 | 55 | | 24while serving, or as a result of service, and their families on the following days: |
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| 56 | 56 | | 25 (1) Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May; |
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| 57 | 57 | | 26 (2) Memorial Day, the last Monday in May; |
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| 58 | 58 | | 27 (3) Flag Day, June 14; |
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| 59 | 59 | | 28 (4) The Fourth of July; |
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| 60 | 60 | | 29 (5) National POW/MIA Recognition Day; 3 of 3 |
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| 61 | 61 | | 30 (6) Veterans Day, November 11; |
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| 62 | 62 | | 31 (7) Gold Star Mother's Day, the last Sunday of September; and |
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| 63 | 63 | | 32 (8) Whenever there is a military casualty in the Commonwealth. |
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| 64 | 64 | | 33 (e) Nothing in this act shall be interpreted as a mandate to purchase or display an Honor |
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| 65 | 65 | | 34and Remember flag by any individual, organization, municipality, or agency. |
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