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HR8694FEDERALFederal Billfiled

Proposed Law to Allow U.S. Flags to Fly at Half-Staff for the Mayor of D.C.

Original title: To amend title 4, United States Code, to permit the flag of the United States to be flown at half-staff in the event of the death of the Mayor of the District of Columbia.

Record date · June 11, 2024

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Would Do

This bill updates federal law to allow the United States flag to be flown at upon the death of the Mayor of the District of Columbia. Currently, this honor is reserved for the President, Vice President, members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, and state or territorial governors.

Why it matters

The bill changes federal flag protocol to grant the Mayor of the District of Columbia the same official mourning status as state governors, affecting how federal buildings display the flag during periods of bereavement.

Background

Ms. Norton is the non-voting Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives representing the District of Columbia. context

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Mayor of the District of Columbia

The office is added to the list of officials for whom the U.S. flag may be flown at half-staff upon death.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this bill force flags to be flown at half-staff?

No, it permits the flag to be flown at , providing the legal authority to do so, rather than mandating it.

Who currently receives this honor?

Under current law, this honor is provided for the President, Vice President, members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, and the Governor of a State, territory, or possession.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

Currently filed. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Committee.

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Expansion of Federal Mourning Protocol

The bill seeks to align the District of Columbia's executive office with the status of state and territorial governors regarding federal mourning honors.

District of Columbia

Connected Entities

Ms. Norton, H.R. 8694, District of Columbia and 1 more

PersonMs. Norton“Introduced the bill in the House of Representatives.”Map →

bill numberH.R. 8694“The bill's identification number.”Map →

locationDistrict of Columbia“The bill specifically addresses the Mayor of the District of Columbia.”Map →

bill numberUnited States Code“The bill amends this legal code.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.congress.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance30
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy10
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

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