House Bill 0359

    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 359

        By Representative Levine






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to display of the United States

  3         flag; amending s. 256.11, F.S.; prohibiting the

  4         willful removal of a United States flag from a

  5         publicly supported and controlled auditorium;

  6         providing exceptions; providing a penalty;

  7         providing an effective date.

  8

  9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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11         Section 1.  Subsection (3) is added to section 256.11,

12  Florida Statutes, to read:

13         256.11  Public auditoriums; display of the United

14  States flag.--

15         (1)  Each publicly supported and controlled auditorium

16  within a separate building shall display daily the flag of the

17  United States upon a suitable flagstaff upon the grounds of

18  the auditorium except when the weather does not permit such

19  display, and each publicly supported and controlled auditorium

20  within a part of a building shall display daily the flag of

21  the United States inside of the auditorium whenever the

22  auditorium is open.

23         (2)  It is the duty of the person responsible for the

24  administration of such auditorium to provide a suitable flag

25  and cause it to be displayed in the manner provided in

26  subsection (1). If any such person willfully fails to cause

27  the flag to be so displayed, such person is guilty of a

28  noncriminal violation, punishable as provided in s. 775.083.

29         (3)  It is unlawful for any person to willfully remove

30  or cause the removal of any flag displayed pursuant to

31  subsection (1), except for the cleaning, repair, or

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 359

    707-101-99






  1  replacement of such flag. A person who violates the provisions

  2  of this subsection commits a misdemeanor of the second degree,

  3  punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

  4         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

  5  law.

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  8                          HOUSE SUMMARY

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      Prohibits the willful removal of a United States flag
10    displayed as provided by law from a publicly supported
      and controlled auditorium. Provides exceptions. Provides
11    a second degree misdemeanor penalty for violation.

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