CHAPTER 3—NATIONAL ANTHEM, MOTTO, FLORAL EMBLEM, MARCH, AND TREE

Amendments

2014—Pub. L. 113–237, §3(c)(1), Dec. 18, 2014, 128 Stat. 2840, substituted "FLORAL EMBLEM, MARCH" for "FLORAL EMBLEM MARCH" in chapter heading.

2004—Pub. L. 108–447, div. J, title I, §109(b)(2), (3), Dec. 8, 2004, 118 Stat. 3344, substituted "MARCH, AND TREE" for ", AND MARCH" in chapter heading and added item 305.

§301. National anthem

(a) Designation.—The composition consisting of the words and music known as the Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem.

(b) Conduct During Playing.—During a rendition of the national anthem—

(1) when the flag is displayed—

(A) individuals in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note;

(B) members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute in the manner provided for individuals in uniform; and

(C) all other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, and men not in uniform, if applicable, should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart; and

(2) when the flag is not displayed, all present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed.

(Pub. L. 105–225, Aug. 12, 1998, 112 Stat. 1263; Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title V, §595, Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4475.)

Amendments

2008—Subsec. (b)(1)(A) to (C). Pub. L. 110–417 added subpars. (A) to (C) and struck out former subpars. (A) to (C) which read as follows:

"(A) all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart;

"(B) men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold the headdress at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart; and

"(C) individuals in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note; and".

§302. National motto

"In God we trust" is the national motto.

(Pub. L. 105–225, Aug. 12, 1998, 112 Stat. 1263; Pub. L. 107–293, §3(a), Nov. 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 2060.)

Amendments

2002—Pub. L. 107–293 reenacted section catchline and text without change.

Reaffirmation of Language

Pub. L. 107–293, §3(b), Nov. 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 2061, provided that: "In codifying this subsection [probably should be "section", meaning section 3 of Pub. L. 107–293, which amended this section], the Office of the Law Revision Counsel shall make no change in section 302, title 36, United States Code, but shall show in the historical and statutory notes that the 107th Congress reaffirmed the exact language that has appeared in the Motto for decades."

§303. National floral emblem

The flower commonly known as the rose is the national floral emblem.

(Pub. L. 105–225, Aug. 12, 1998, 112 Stat. 1263.)

The text of 36:187 (words after comma) is omitted as executed because the proclamation was made on November 20, 1986. See Proclamation No. 5574, 51 Fed. Reg. 42197.

Proc. No. 5574. The Rose Proclaimed the National Floral Emblem of the United States of America

Proc. No. 5574, Nov. 20, 1986, 51 F.R. 42197, provided:

Americans have always loved the flowers with which God decorates our land. More often than any other flower, we hold the rose dear as the symbol of life and love and devotion, of beauty and eternity. For the love of man and woman, for the love of mankind and God, for the love of country, Americans who would speak the language of the heart do so with a rose.

We see proofs of this everywhere. The study of fossils reveals that the rose has existed in America for age upon age. We have always cultivated roses in our gardens. Our first President, George Washington, bred roses, and a variety he named after his mother is still grown today. The White House itself boasts a beautiful Rose Garden. We grow roses in all our fifty States. We find roses throughout our art, music, and literature. We decorate our celebrations and parades with roses. Most of all, we present roses to those we love, and we lavish them on our altars, our civil shrines, and the final resting places of our honored dead.

The American people have long held a special place in their hearts for roses. Let us continue to cherish them, to honor the love and devotion they represent, and to bestow them on all we love just as God has bestowed them on us.

The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 159 [Pub. L. 99–449, now this section], has designated the rose as the National Floral Emblem of the United States and authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation declaring this fact.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the rose as the National Floral Emblem of the United States of America.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of November, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eleventh.

Ronald Reagan.      

§304. National march

The composition by John Philip Sousa entitled "The Stars and Stripes Forever" is the national march.

(Pub. L. 105–225, Aug. 12, 1998, 112 Stat. 1263.)

§305. National tree

The tree genus Quercus, commonly known as the oak tree, is the national tree.

(Added Pub. L. 108–447, div. J, title I, §109(a), Dec. 8, 2004, 118 Stat. 3344.)