North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina House Bill H244 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
2	2		SESSION 2025
3		-	H 3
	3	+	H 2
4	4		HOUSE BILL 244
5	5		Committee Substitute Favorable 3/11/25
6		-	Committee Substitute #2 Favorable 4/15/25
7	6
8	7		Short Title: Depoliticize Government Property Act. (Public)
9	8		Sponsors:
10	9		Referred to:
11	10		March 3, 2025
12		-	H244 -v-3
	11	+	H244 -v-2
13	12		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
14	13		AN ACT TO PROVIDE TH AT ONLY OFFICIAL GOV ERNMENTAL FLAGS MAY BE 2
15	14		FLOWN OR DISPLAYED ON PROPERTY OWNED BY THE STATE OR A POLITICAL 3
16	15		SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE. 4
17	16		The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
18	17		SECTION 1. G.S. 144-5 reads as rewritten: 6
19	18		"§ 144-5. Flags to conform to law; display and handling of a flag of the United States of 7
20	19		America or the State of North Carolina an official governmental flag by State 8
21	20		institutions and other political subdivisions of the State. 9
22	21		… 10
23	22		(b) A flag of the United States of America or the State of North Carolina An official 11
24	23		governmental flag that is displayed by a State institution or a political subdivision of the State on 12
25	24		the premises of a building of a State institution or a political subdivision of the State under 13
26	25		G.S. 144-7.1 shall be handled, displayed, stored, and respectfully disposed of in accordance with 14
27	26		the federal Flag Code, 4 U.S.C. §§ 1-10." 15
28	27		SECTION 2. G.S. 144-7 reads as rewritten: 16
29	28		"§ 144-7. Display of official governmental flags; public restrictions. 17
30	29		(a) A county, city, consolidated city-county, or unified government shall not prohibit an 18
31	30		official governmental flag from being flown or displayed if the official governmental flag is 19
32	31		flown or displayed:displayed in accordance with all of the following: 20
33	32		(1) In accordance with the The patriotic customs set forth in 4 U.S.C. §§ 5-10, as 21
34	33		amended; andamended. 22
35	34		(2) Upon private or public property with the consent of either the owner of the 23
36	35		property or of any person having lawful control of the property. 24
37	36		(3) The provisions in G.S. 144-7.1. 25
38	37		(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, for For the purpose of protecting the 26
39	38		public health, safety, and welfare, reasonable restrictions on flag size, number of flags, location, 27
40	39		and height of flagpoles are not prohibited, provided that such restrictions shall not discriminate 28
41	40		against any official governmental flag in any manner.manner and shall comply with 29
42	41		G.S. 144-7.1. 30
43	42		(c) For purposes of this section, an "official governmental flag" shall mean any of the 31
44	43		following:is as defined in G.S. 144-7.1. 32
45	44		(1) The flag of the United States of America. 33
46	45		(2) The flag of nations recognized by the United States of America. 34
47		-	(3) The flag of the State of North Carolina. 35 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
48		-	Page 2 House Bill 244-Third Edition
49		-	(4) The flag of any state or territory of the United States. 1
50		-	(5) The flag of a political subdivision of any state or territory of the United 2
51		-	States." 3
52		-	SECTION 3. Chapter 144 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new 4
53		-	section to read: 5
54		-	"§ 144-7.1. Display of official governmental flags on State and local government property. 6
55		-	(a) Only the following official governmental flags may be flown or displayed by a State 7
56		-	institution or a political subdivision of the State on the premises of a building of a State institution 8
57		-	or a political subdivision of the State: 9
58		-	(1) The flag of the United States of America. 10
59		-	(2) The flag of the State of North Carolina. 11
60		-	(3) The flag of a county, city, or other governmental agency, school, or other 12
61		-	educational facility. 13
62		-	(4) The flag of any military branch of the United States of America. 14
63		-	(5) The Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) flag. 15
64		-	(6) The Honor and Remember flag. 16
65		-	(7) The flag of nations recognized by the United States of America. 17
66		-	(8) The flag of any state or territory of the United States. 18
67		-	(9) The flag of a political subdivision of any state or territory of the United States. 19
68		-	(10) The flag of any Indian tribe or Indian group recognized by State or federal 20
69		-	law. 21
70		-	(b) For purposes of this section, the term "displayed" means the governmental flag or an 22
71		-	image of the governmental flag is placed anywhere, including the walls of a facility, employee 23
72		-	breakroom, and sidewalks. 24
73		-	(c) This section shall not apply to either of the following: 25
74		-	(1) A historic display at a museum. 26
75		-	(2) A reenactment of a prior war of the United States. 27
76		-	(d) Any employee of the State or political subdivision of the State who violates this 28
77		-	section is subject to disciplinary action, including termination from employment." 29
78		-	SECTION 4. This act becomes effective October 1, 2025, and applies to violations 30
79		-	occurring on or after that date. 31
	46	+	(3) The flag of the State of North Carolina. 35
	47	+	(4) The flag of any state or territory of the United States. 36 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
	48	+	Page 2 House Bill 244-Second Edition
	49	+	(5) The flag of a political subdivision of any state or territory of the United 1
	50	+	States." 2
	51	+	SECTION 3. Chapter 144 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new 3
	52	+	section to read: 4
	53	+	"§ 144-7.1. Display of official governmental flags on State and local government property. 5
	54	+	(a) Only the following official governmental flags may be flown or displayed by a State 6
	55	+	institution or a political subdivision of the State on the premises of a building of a State institution 7
	56	+	or a political subdivision of the State: 8
	57	+	(1) The flag of the United States of America. 9
	58	+	(2) The flag of the State of North Carolina. 10
	59	+	(3) The flag of a county, city, or other governmental agency, school, or other 11
	60	+	educational facility. 12
	61	+	(4) The flag of any military branch of the United States of America. 13
	62	+	(5) The Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) flag. 14
	63	+	(6) The Honor and Remember flag. 15
	64	+	(7) The flag of nations recognized by the United States of America. 16
	65	+	(8) The flag of any state or territory of the United States. 17
	66	+	(9) The flag of a political subdivision of any state or territory of the United States. 18
	67	+	(10) The flag of any Indian tribe or Indian group recognized by State or federal 19
	68	+	law. 20
	69	+	(b) For purposes of this section, the term "displayed" means the governmental flag or an 21
	70	+	image of the governmental flag is placed anywhere, including the walls of a facility, employee 22
	71	+	breakroom, and sidewalks. 23
	72	+	(c) Any employee of the State or political subdivision of the State who violates this 24
	73	+	section is subject to disciplinary action, including termination from employment." 25
	74	+	SECTION 4. This act becomes effective October 1, 2025, and applies to violations 26
	75	+	occurring on or after that date. 27