Florida SB 426: Economic Development

Bill Text

426 
Adoption and Display of Flags by Governmental Entities 
2025-11-07T10:02:06Z 
Prohibiting a governmental entity from displaying, placing, or causing to be placed certain flags on real property; providing a penalty; specifying flags a governmental entity may display on such property; prohibiting a local government from adopting certain ordinances or regulations relating to the flag of the local government, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 426 

 By Senator Yarborough 

 4-00812-26 2026426__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to the adoption and display of flags 
 3 by governmental entities; creating s. 256.18, F.S.; 
 4 defining the term “governmental entity”; prohibiting a 
 5 governmental entity from displaying, placing, or 
 6 causing to be placed certain flags on real property; 
 7 providing a penalty; specifying flags a governmental 
 8 entity may display on such property; providing 
 9 requirements for a governmental entity that displays 
 10 the flag of the United States; creating s. 256.19, 
 11 F.S.; defining the term “local government”; 
 12 prohibiting a local government from adopting certain 
 13 ordinances or regulations relating to the flag of the 
 14 local government; providing that certain ordinances 
 15 and regulations are void; providing an effective date. 
 16 
 17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 18 
 19 Section 1. Section 256.18, Florida Statutes, is created to 
 20 read: 
 21 256.18 Governmental entities; display of flags.— 
 22 (1) As used in this section, the term “governmental entity” 
 23 means a state, county, municipality, special district, or other 
 24 political subdivision, whether executive, judicial, or 
 25 legislative, including, but not limited to, a department, 
 26 division, board, bureau, commission, authority, or district, or 
 27 an agency thereof, or a public school, Florida College System 
 28 institution, state university, or associated board. 
 29 (2)(a) A governmental entity may not: 
 30 1. Display any flag on real property other than a flag 
 31 listed in subsection (3). 
 32 2. Place or cause to be placed a flag authorized to be 
 33 displayed under subsection (3) which contains or depicts any 
 34 word, figure, mark, picture, design, drawing, symbol, or 
 35 advertisement of any nature which represents political 
 36 partisanship, political ideology, race, gender, or sexual 
 37 orientation. 
 38 (b) A governmental entity that violates this subsection is 
 39 liable for a civil fine in the amount of $500 per day. Proceeds 
 40 from fines collected by the Department of State shall be 
 41 deposited into the General Revenue Fund. 
 42 (3) A governmental entity may display on real property: 
 43 (a) The flag of the United States. 
 44 (b) The state flag. 
 45 (c) The flag of another state or another country. 
 46 (d) The flag of a city, county, municipality, or other 
 47 political subdivision of this state. 
 48 (e) The flag of a branch of the United States Armed Forces. 
 49 (f) A POW-MIA flag pursuant to this chapter. 
 50 (g) The flag of an Indian tribe recognized by the United 
 51 States. 
 52 (h) The official flag of a public school, Florida College 
 53 System institution, or state university. 
 54 (i) A flag of historical significance to the government of 
 55 the United States or this state. 
 56 (j) The official flag of the United States Paralympic 
 57 Committee, the International Olympic Committee, or the 
 58 International Paralympic Committee. 
 59 (k) The Olympic flag or Paralympic flag representing games 
 60 that have occurred or will occur in this state. 
 61 (l) The flag of any sporting organization that is hosting, 
 62 has hosted, or will host a sporting event in this state. 
 63 (4) A governmental entity that displays the United States 
 64 flag must display the flag in a prominent position that is 
 65 superior to any other flag on display. 
 66 Section 2. Section 256.19, Florida Statutes, is created to 
 67 read: 
 68 256.19 Local government flags; prohibited acts.— 
 69 (1) As used in this section, the term “local government” 
 70 means a city, county, municipality, or other political 
 71 subdivision of this state. 
 72 (2) A local government may not adopt an ordinance or 
 73 regulation that authorizes the flag of the local government to 
 74 contain or depict any word, figure, mark, picture, design, 
 75 drawing, symbol, or advertisement of any nature which represents 
 76 political partisanship, political ideology, race, gender, or 
 77 sexual orientation. 
 78 (3) Any existing or future ordinance or regulation adopted 
 79 by a local government which is in conflict with subsection (2) 
 80 is void. 
 81 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.