GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 123
Short Title: Flags at Every School. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Settle, Alexander, and Ford (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
February 24, 2025
*S123 -v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO REQUIRE AN D FUND THE DISPLAY O F THE UNITED STATES AND 2
NORTH CAROLINA FLAGS ON PUBLIC SCHOOL GR OUNDS AND IN EVERY 3
PUBLIC SCHOOL CLASSROOM. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 115C-47(29a) reads as rewritten: 6
"(29a) To Require the Display of the United States and North Carolina Flags, and to 7
Require the Recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. – Local boards of 8
education shall adopt policies to (i) require the display of the United States 9
and North Carolina flags on school grounds near the main entrance to each 10
school and in each classroom, when available, (ii) require that recitation of the 11
Pledge of Allegiance be scheduled on a daily basis, and (iii) provide 12
age-appropriate instruction on the meaning and historical origins of the flag 13
and the Pledge of Allegiance. These policies shall not compel any person to 14
stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. If flags are donated 15
or are otherwise available, flags shall be displayed in each classroom." 16
SECTION 1.(b) G.S. 115C-150.12C(23), as enacted by S.L. 2023-10, reads as 17
rewritten: 18
"(23) The Display of the United States and North Carolina Flags and the Recitation 19
of the Pledge of Allegiance. – The board of trustees shall adopt policies to (i) 20
require the display of the United States and North Carolina flags on school 21
grounds near the main entrance to the school and in each classroom when 22
available, classroom, (ii) require that recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance be 23
scheduled on a daily basis, and (iii) provide age-appropriate instruction on the 24
meaning and historical origins of the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. These 25
policies shall not compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the 26
Pledge of Allegiance. If flags are donated or are otherwise available, flags 27
shall be displayed in each classroom." 28
SECTION 1.(c) G.S. 115C-218.80 reads as rewritten: 29
"§ 115C-218.80. Display of the United States and North Carolina flags and the recitation 30
of the Pledge of Allegiance. 31
A charter school shall (i) display the United States and North Carolina flags on school 32
grounds near the main entrance to the school and in each classroom when available, classroom, 33
(ii) require the schedule recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance on a daily basis, and (iii) provide 34
age-appropriate instruction on the meaning and historical origins of the flag and the Pledge of 35
Allegiance. A charter school shall not compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the 36 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 123-First Edition
Pledge of Allegiance. If flags are donated or are otherwise available, flags shall be displayed in 1
each classroom." 2
SECTION 1.(d) G.S. 115C-238.66 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 3
"(23) Display of the United States and North Carolina flags and the recitation of the 4
Pledge of Allegiance. – A regional school shall (i) display the United States 5
and North Carolina flags on school grounds near the main entrance to the 6
school and in each classroom, (ii) schedule recitation of the Pledge of 7
Allegiance on a daily basis, and (iii) provide age-appropriate instruction on 8
the meaning and historical origins of the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. A 9
regional school shall not compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite 10
the Pledge of Allegiance." 11
SECTION 1.(e) G.S. 116-69.1 reads as rewritten: 12
"§ 116-69.1. Display of the United States and North Carolina flags and the recitation of the 13
Pledge of Allegiance. 14
The school shall (i) display the United States and North Carolina flags on school grounds 15
near the main entrance to the school and in each classroom when available, classroom, (ii) require 16
the schedule recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance on a daily basis, and (iii) provide 17
age-appropriate instruction on the meaning and historical origins of the flag and the Pledge of 18
Allegiance. The school shall not compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge 19
of Allegiance. If flags are donated or are otherwise available, flags shall be displayed in each 20
classroom." 21
SECTION 1.(f) G.S. 116-235(i) reads as rewritten: 22
"(i) The Display of the United States and North Carolina Flags and the Recitation of the 23
Pledge of Allegiance. – The Board of Trustees shall adopt policies to require (i) require the 24
display of the United States and North Carolina flags on school grounds near the main entrance 25
to the school and in each classroom when available, classroom, (ii) the schedule recitation of the 26
Pledge of Allegiance on a daily basis, and (iii) the provide age-appropriate instruction on the 27
meaning and historical origins of the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. These policies shall not 28
compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. If flags are donated 29
or are otherwise available, flags shall be displayed in each classroom." 30
SECTION 1.(g) G.S. 116-239.8(b) is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 31
"(26) Display of the United States and North Carolina flags and the recitation of the 32
Pledge of Allegiance. – Laboratory schools shall (i) display the United States 33
and North Carolina flags on school grounds near the main entrance to the 34
school and in each classroom, (ii) schedule recitation of the Pledge of 35
Allegiance on a daily basis, and (iii) provide age-appropriate instruction on 36
the meaning and historical origins of the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. A 37
laboratory school shall not compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or 38
recite the Pledge of Allegiance." 39
SECTION 2.(a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 40
Public Instruction the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 41
2025-2026 fiscal year and the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) in recurring funds 42
for the 2026-2027 fiscal year for the Department to allocate to public school units for the purchase 43
of United States and North Carolina flags to be displayed as required by this act. 44
SECTION 2.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of 45
Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of one thousand dollars ($1,000) in 46
recurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year for the Board to allocate to the secondary schools 47
operated under control of the Board for the purchase of United States and North Carolina flags 48
to be displayed as required by this act. 49
SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with 50
the 2025-2026 school year. 51