North Carolina HB 186: The Stars and Stripes Commitment Act.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 2
HOUSE BILL 186
Committee Substitute Favorable 3/4/25

Short Title: The Stars and Stripes Commitment Act. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
February 26, 2025
*H186-v-2*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO SCHEDULE RECITATION OF THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AT THE 2
BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL DAY AND TO REQUIRE RECITATION OF THE 3
PLEDGE AT STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND GOVERNING BODY MEETINGS. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
6
PART I. REQUIRE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO BE SCHEDULED AT THE 7
BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL DAY 8
SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 115C-47(29a) reads as rewritten: 9
"(29a) To Require the Display of the United States and North Carolina Flags, and to 10
Require the Recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. – Local boards of 11
education shall adopt policies to (i) require the display of the United States 12
and North Carolina flags in each classroom, when available, (ii) require that 13
recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance be scheduled on a daily basis, Pledge of 14
Allegiance, as codified in 4 U.S.C. § 4, be scheduled on a daily basis within 15
one hour of the beginning of the instructional day, and (iii) provide 16
age-appropriate instruction on the meaning and historical origins of the flag 17
and the Pledge of Allegiance. These policies shall not compel any person to 18
stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. If flags are donated 19
or are otherwise available, flags shall be displayed in each classroom." 20
SECTION 1.(b) G.S. 115C-150.12C(23), as enacted by S.L. 2023-10, reads as 21
rewritten: 22
"(23) The Display of the United States and North Carolina Flags and the Recitation 23
of the Pledge of Allegiance. – The board of trustees shall adopt policies to (i) 24
require the display of the United States and North Carolina flags in each 25
classroom when available, (ii) require that recitation of the Pledge of 26
Allegiance be scheduled on a daily basis, Pledge of Allegiance, as codified in 27
4 U.S.C. § 4, be scheduled on a daily basis within one hour of the beginning 28
of the instructional day, and (iii) provide age-appropriate instruction on the 29
meaning and historical origins of the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. These 30
policies shall not compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the 31
Pledge of Allegiance. If flags are donated or are otherwise available, flags 32
shall be displayed in each classroom." 33
SECTION 1.(c) G.S. 115C-218.80 reads as rewritten: 34
"§ 115C-218.80. Display of the United States and North Carolina flags and the recitation 35
of the Pledge of Allegiance. 36

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 186-Second Edition
A charter school shall (i) display the United States and North Carolina flags in each classroom 1
when available, (ii) require the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance on a daily basis, Pledge of 2
Allegiance, as codified in 4 U.S.C. § 4, be scheduled on a daily basis within one hour of the 3
beginning of the instructional day, and (iii) provide age-appropriate instruction on the meaning 4
and historical origins of the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. A charter school shall not compel 5
any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. If flags are donated or are 6
otherwise available, flags shall be displayed in each classroom." 7
SECTION 1.(d) G.S. 115C-238.66 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 8
"(23) Recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. – A regional school shall schedule 9
recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, as codified in 4 U.S.C. § 4, on a daily 10
basis within one hour of the beginning of the instructional day. A regional 11
school shall not compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the 12
Pledge of Allegiance." 13
SECTION 1.(e) G.S. 116-69.1 reads as rewritten: 14
"§ 116-69.1. Display of the United States and North Carolina flags and the recitation of the 15
Pledge of Allegiance. 16
The school shall (i) display the United States and North Carolina flags in each classroom 17
when available, (ii) require the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance on a daily basis, Pledge of 18
Allegiance, as codified in 4 U.S.C. § 4, be scheduled on a daily basis within one hour of the 19
beginning of the instructional day, and (iii) provide instruction on the meaning and historical 20
origins of the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. The school shall not compel any person to stand, 21
salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. If flags are donated or are otherwise available, 22
flags shall be displayed in each classroom." 23
SECTION 1.(f) G.S. 116-235(i) reads as rewritten: 24
"(i) The Display of the United States and North Carolina Flags and the Recitation of the 25
Pledge of Allegiance. – The Board of Trustees shall adopt policies to require (i) the display of 26
the United States and North Carolina flags in each classroom when available, (ii) the recitation 27
of the Pledge of