House Bill 0009e1

                                   CS/CS/HB 9, First Engrossed/ntc



  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to patriotic programs; creating

  3         s. 233.0655, F.S.; authorizing district school

  4         board rules to require patriotic programs;

  5         providing program requirements; requiring

  6         recitation of the pledge of allegiance;

  7         amending s. 256.11, F.S.; revising the penalty

  8         for willfully causing the flag to fail to be

  9         properly displayed; providing an effective

10         date.

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

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14         Section 1.  Section 233.0655, Florida Statutes, is

15  created to read:

16         233.0655  Patriotic programs; rules.--Each district

17  school board is authorized to adopt rules to require, in all

18  of the schools of the district, programs of a patriotic nature

19  to encourage greater respect for the government of the United

20  States and its national anthem and flag, subject always to

21  other existing pertinent laws of the United States or of the

22  state; provided, that when the national anthem is played,

23  students and all civilians shall stand at attention, men

24  removing the headdress, except when such headdress is worn for

25  religious purposes; and provided, further, that the pledge of

26  allegiance to the flag, "I pledge allegiance to the flag of

27  the United States of America and to the republic for which it

28  stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and

29  justice for all," shall be rendered by students standing with

30  the right hand over the heart. The pledge of allegiance to the

31  flag, as stated herein, shall be recited at the beginning of


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






                                   CS/CS/HB 9, First Engrossed/ntc



  1  the day in each elementary and secondary public school in the

  2  state, provided that, upon written request by a parent or

  3  guardian, a student may be excused from reciting the pledge.

  4  When the pledge is given, civilians must show full respect to

  5  the flag by standing at attention, men removing the headdress,

  6  except when such headdress is worn for religious purposes, as

  7  provided by s. 7 of U.S. Pub. L. No. 623, approved June 22,

  8  1942, as amended by U.S. Pub. L. No. 829, approved December

  9  22, 1942.

10         Section 2.  Subsection (2) of section 256.11, Florida

11  Statutes, is amended to read:

12         256.11  Public auditoriums; display of the United

13  States flag.--

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

15  administration of such auditorium to provide a suitable flag

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

17  subsection (1). If any such person willfully causes fails to

18  cause the flag to fail to be so displayed, except for the

19  cleaning, repair, or replacement of such flag, such person is

20  guilty of a noncriminal violation, punishable as provided in

21  s. 775.083.

22         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

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