[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7183 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7183

To amend title 36, United States Code, to designate the Freedom Flag as 
   an official symbol of the United States to honor and remember the 
 victims and emergency responders who died on September 11, 2001, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 11, 2020

   Ms. Spanberger (for herself, Mr. King of New York, Mr. Cline, Mr. 
   Beyer, Mr. Griffith, Mr. Connolly, Mr. Riggleman, Ms. Wexton, Mr. 
 Wittman, Mrs. Luria, Mr. McEachin, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Mr. Zeldin, 
Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Miss Rice of New York, Mr. Rose of 
   New York, Ms. Stefanik, Mr. Suozzi, Mr. Katko, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. 
 Brindisi, Mr. Malinowski, Mr. Payne, Mr. Gottheimer, Mr. Fitzpatrick, 
  Ms. Dean, and Ms. Norton) introduced the following bill; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 36, United States Code, to designate the Freedom Flag as 
   an official symbol of the United States to honor and remember the 
 victims and emergency responders who died on September 11, 2001, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Nine-Eleven Victims and 
Emergency Responders Flag Of Remembrance, Gratitude, and Education for 
Tomorrow Act'' or the ``National NEVER FORGET Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) On September 11, 2001, terrorists launched an attack on 
        the United States that resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 
        United States citizens.
            (2) Richard N. Melito designed a flag known as the 
        ``Freedom Flag'' on September 20, 2001, to memorialize and 
        commemorate--
                    (A) the victims and emergency responders of such 
                attack;
                    (B) the events surrounding such attack; and
                    (C) the sense of national unity and patriotism that 
                followed the attack.
            (3) The meaning of the Freedom Flag is illustrated by the 
        colors and symbols of the flag, including--
                    (A) an old glory blue background that represents 
                the people of the United States uniting together for 
                freedom;
                    (B) a white star that represents all individuals 
                who have lived and died for the freedom of the people 
                of the United States;
                    (C) five white bars that represent the Pentagon and 
                the organized protection of the freedom of the United 
                States;
                    (D) a top old glory red stripe that represents the 
                bloodshed of the individuals who perished at the 
                Pentagon and the crew and passengers on American 
                Airlines Flight 77;
                    (E) two broad old glory red stripes that represent 
                the twin towers of the World Trade Center in the city 
                of New York and the bloodshed of the individuals who 
                died there, on American Airlines Flight 11, and on 
                United Airlines Flight 175;
                    (F) a bottom old glory red stripe that represents 
                the bloodshed of the crew and passengers who perished 
                on United Airlines Flight 93 in Shanksville, 
                Pennsylvania; and
                    (G) three white stripes that represent the rescue 
                workers, firefighters, police officers, port authority 
                employees, and other individuals who worked tirelessly 
                during and after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 
                2001.
            (4) On October 25, 2001, a flag maker sewed the first 
        Freedom Flag with the design of Mr. Melito and unveiled the 
        flag on December 16, 2001.
            (5) The Virginia Historical Society adopted the Freedom 
        Flag on November 12, 2001, for display during a memorial 
        exhibit commemorating the September 11, 2001, attack on the 
        Pentagon.
            (6) In May 2002, Mr. Melito established a nonprofit 
        organization known as the ``Freedom Flag Foundation'' to 
        facilitate the distribution of the Freedom Flag to help educate 
        children about the terrorist attacks and to foster the 
        establishment of a national symbol of remembrance.
            (7) On March 30, 2018, the Commonwealth of Virginia 
        designated the Freedom Flag as an official emblem of Virginia.

SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF FREEDOM FLAG HONORING AND REMEMBERING THOSE WHO 
              DIED ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001.

    (a) Designation.--Chapter 9 of title 36, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 904. Designation of Freedom Flag
    ``(a) Designation.--The flag known as the `Freedom Flag' designed 
by Richard N. Melito is designated as the symbol of the commitment of 
the United States to honoring and remembering the victims and emergency 
responders who died as a result of the terrorist attacks on September 
11, 2001.
    ``(b) Required Display.--The Freedom Flag shall be displayed each 
year on Patriot Day, September 11, and, thereafter, each day through 
the end of September at--
            ``(1) the Capitol;
            ``(2) the White House;
            ``(3) each national cemetery;
            ``(4) each major military installation, as designated by 
        the Secretary of Defense;
            ``(5) the building containing the official office of--
                    ``(A) the Secretary of State;
                    ``(B) the Secretary of Defense; and
                    ``(C) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs;
            ``(6) each medical center of the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs; and
            ``(7) each United States Postal Service post office.
    ``(c) Display Visible to the Public.--The Freedom Flag shall be 
displayed pursuant to subsection (b) in a manner designed to ensure 
visibility to the public.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 9 of title 36, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new item:

``904. Designation of Freedom Flag.''.
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