Relates to the display of certain flags upon the capitol building

3 Co-sponsors

• William J. Larkin Jr.
• Tony Avella
• George D. Maziarz

BILL NUMBER:S3957

Title of bill

An act to amend the military law and the public buildings law, in relation to the display of certain flags upon the capitol building

Purpose

This bill would provide for the display of the National Honor and Remember Flag for fallen members of the armed forces.

Summary of specific provisions

Section one of this bill would add a new section 267 to the executive law, to designate the honor and remember flag for fallen members of the armed forces.

Specifically, this bill would:

(a) Provide for a legislative intent which would find and determine that:

(1) Since the revolutionary war, more than one million members of the United States armed forces have paid the ultimate price by sacrificing their lives in the line of duty.

(2) The contributions of those fallen members of the armed forces are deserving of national recognition.

(3) Currently, there is no officially recognized symbolic flag that acknowledges members of the armed forces who died in the line of duty.

(b) Adopt the national honor and remember flag for fallen members of the armed forces as the official honor and remember flag for the state of New York, stating that the honor and remember flag is the symbol of our nation's concern and commitment to honoring and remembering the lives of all members of the United States armed forces who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

(c) Provide for the procurement and distribution of honor and remember flags, by requiring that not later than thirty days after the effective date of this section, the commissioner of general services shall commence the procurement of honor and remember flags and distribute them as necessary.

Section two of this bill would amend section 3 of the public buildings law, to provide that the flag commonly designated as the national honor and remember flag, shall be displayed upon the capitol building during the daily sessions of the legislature and on public occasions.

Section three of this bill would provide that this act would take effect on the 30th day after it shall have become a law.

Justification

This bill would provide for the designation and display of the National Honor and Remember Flag by the State of New York. The National Honor and Remember Flag was established to provide for the honoring and remembering of all the members of the American Armed Forces who have given our nation and its people the ultimate sacrifice, by giving their life in the defense of our nation and its freedom. Like the Purple Heart, which is the military honor awarded to those who have sustained combat injury or death, the Honor and Remember Flag represents a public recognition that a grateful state and nation can display to expressly show its gratitude to those service personnel and their families. This bill would provide for the adoption of the Honor and Remember Flag as the official Honor and Remember Flag for the State of New York, and require its display over the State Capitol Building in Albany. Similar legislation is being enacted in other states, as well as by the federal government, as a tribute to our fallen Armed Forces Service Members.

Legislative history

This is a new bill in the Senate.

Fiscal implications

None noted (as this can be maintained within current budget appropriations).

Effective date

This act would take effect on the thirtieth day after becoming law.