GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 2
HOUSE BILL 186
Committee Substitute Favorable 3/4/25
Short Title: The Stars and Stripes Commitment Act. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
February 26, 2025
*H186 -v-2*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO SCHEDULE R ECITATION OF THE PLEDGE 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 MEETIN GS. 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 SCH OOL 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 each classroom, when available, (ii) require that 13
recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance be scheduled on a daily basis, Pledge of 14
Allegiance, as codified in 4 U.S.C. § 4, be scheduled on a daily basis within 15
one hour of the beginning of the instructional day, and (iii) provide 16
age-appropriate instruction on the meaning and historical origins of the flag 17
and the Pledge of Allegiance. These policies shall not compel any person to 18
stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. If flags are donated 19
or are otherwise available, flags shall be displayed in each classroom." 20
SECTION 1.(b) G.S. 115C-150.12C(23), as enacted by S.L. 2023-10, reads as 21
rewritten: 22
"(23) The Display of the United States and North Carolina Flags and the Recitation 23
of the Pledge of Allegiance. – The board of trustees shall adopt policies to (i) 24
require the display of the United States and North Carolina flags in each 25
classroom when available, (ii) require that recitation of the Pledge of 26
Allegiance be scheduled on a daily basis, Pledge of Allegiance, as codified in 27
4 U.S.C. § 4, be scheduled on a daily basis within one hour of the beginning 28
of the instructional day, and (iii) provide age-appropriate instruction on the 29
meaning and historical origins of the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. These 30
policies shall not compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the 31
Pledge of Allegiance. If flags are donated or are otherwise available, flags 32
shall be displayed in each classroom." 33
SECTION 1.(c) G.S. 115C-218.80 reads as rewritten: 34
"§ 115C-218.80. Display of the United States and North Carolina flags and the recitation 35
of the Pledge of Allegiance. 36 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 186-Second Edition
A charter school shall (i) display the United States and North Carolina flags in each classroom 1
when available, (ii) require the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance on a daily basis, Pledge of 2
Allegiance, as codified in 4 U.S.C. § 4, be scheduled on a daily basis within one hour of the 3
beginning of the instructional day, and (iii) provide age-appropriate instruction on the meaning 4
and historical origins of the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. A charter school shall not compel 5
any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. If flags are donated or are 6
otherwise available, flags shall be displayed in each classroom." 7
SECTION 1.(d) G.S. 115C-238.66 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 8
"(23) Recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. – A regional school shall schedule 9
recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, as codified in 4 U.S.C. § 4, on a daily 10
basis within one hour of the beginning of the instructional day. A regional 11
school shall not compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the 12
Pledge of Allegiance." 13
SECTION 1.(e) G.S. 116-69.1 reads as rewritten: 14
"§ 116-69.1. Display of the United States and North Carolina flags and the recitation of the 15
Pledge of Allegiance. 16
The school shall (i) display the United States and North Carolina flags in each classroom 17
when available, (ii) require the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance on a daily basis, Pledge of 18
Allegiance, as codified in 4 U.S.C. § 4, be scheduled on a daily basis within one hour of the 19
beginning of the instructional day, and (iii) provide instruction on the meaning and historical 20
origins of the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. The school shall not compel any person to stand, 21
salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. If flags are donated or are otherwise available, 22
flags shall be displayed in each classroom." 23
SECTION 1.(f) G.S. 116-235(i) reads as rewritten: 24
"(i) The Display of the United States and North Carolina Flags and the Recitation of the 25
Pledge of Allegiance. – The Board of Trustees shall adopt policies to require (i) the display of 26
the United States and North Carolina flags in each classroom when available, (ii) the recitation 27
of the Pledge of Allegiance on a daily basis, Pledge of Allegiance, as codified in 4 U.S.C. § 4, be 28
scheduled on a daily basis within one hour of the beginning of the instructional day, and (iii) the 29
instruction on the meaning and historical origins of the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. These 30
policies shall not compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. 31
If flags are donated or are otherwise available, flags shall be displayed in each classroom." 32
SECTION 1.(g) G.S. 116-239.8(b) is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 33
"(26) Display of the United States and North Carolina flags and the recitation of the 34
Pledge of Allegiance. – Laboratory schools shall schedule recitation of the 35
Pledge of Allegiance, as codified in 4 U.S.C. § 4, on a daily basis within one 36
hour of the beginning of the instructional day." 37
38
PART II. REQUIRE REC ITATION OF PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AT STATE 39
BOARD OF EDUCATION A ND GOVERNING BODY ME ETINGS 40
SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 115C-11 reads as rewritten: 41
"§ 115C-11. Organization and internal procedures of Board. 42
… 43
(b) Regular Meetings of Board. – The regular meetings of the Board shall be held each 44
month on a day certain, as determined by the Board. The Board shall determine the hour of the 45
meeting, which may be adjourned from day to day, or to a day certain, until the business before 46
the Board has been completed. 47
(b1) Annual meeting with the State Board of Community Colleges and the Board of 48
Governors of The University of North Carolina. Carolina. – The State Board of Education shall 49
meet with the State Board of Community Colleges and the Board of Governors of The University 50
of North Carolina at least once a year to discuss educational matters of mutual interest and to 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
House Bill 186-Second Edition Page 3
recommend to the General Assembly such policies as are appropriate to encourage the 1
improvement of public education at every level in this State. The meeting in 1987 and every three 2
years thereafter shall be hosted by the University Board of Governors, the meeting in 1988 and 3
every three years thereafter shall be hosted by the State Board of Education, and the meeting in 4
1989 and every three years thereafter shall be hosted by the State Board of Community Colleges. 5
(b2) Pledge of Allegiance. – Every regular and special meeting of the Board shall begin 6
with recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, as codified in 4 U.S.C. § 4. This policy shall not 7
compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. 8
…." 9
SECTION 2.(b) Article 7B of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by 10
adding a new section to read: 11
"§ 115C-76.300. Pledge of Allegiance. 12
Every meeting of a governing body of a public school unit shall begin with recitation of the 13
Pledge of Allegiance, as codified in 4 U.S.C. § 4. This policy shall not compel any person to 14
stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance." 15
16
PART III. EFFECTIVE DATE 17
SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with 18
the 2025-2026 school year. 19