PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Congressional Research Service
No official summary is available in the imported record yet.
People & committees
Rep. Harshbarger, Diana [R-TN-1] · R–TN
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Sep 19, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
AI Conversation Starters
Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.
Analyze H.R.1313 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
Examine H.R.1313 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.
Examine H.R.1313 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.
Examine H.R.1313 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.
PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-13 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed One Flag for All Act would restrict which flags could be displayed outside covered public buildings and in their fully public areas. It expressly includes congressional buildings, military installations, and U.S. embassies and consulates. The U.S. flag would remain permitted, with numerous exceptions allowing other flags, including military flags and flags representing the building’s state or local jurisdiction.
This Act may be cited as the One Flag for All Act.
No flag that is not the flag of the United States may be flown, draped, or otherwise displayed— (1) on the exterior of a covered public building; or (2) in an area of a covered public building that is fully accessible to the public, including an entryway or hallway.
The term public building includes— (i) a building in use by the Senate or the House of Representatives, or otherwise under the jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol; (ii) a military installation (as defined in section 2801(c) of title 10, United States Code); and (iii) any embassy or consulate of the United States.
(5) any flag that represents a unit or branch of the Armed Forces or a flag supporting the Armed Forces;
(12) any flag that represents the State, territory, county, city, or local jurisdiction in which the public building is located.
The proposed restriction would cover flying, draping, or otherwise displaying a flag. It would apply to building exteriors and interior areas fully accessible to the public, including entryways and hallways.
No flag that is not the flag of the United States may be flown, draped, or otherwise displayed— (1) on the exterior of a covered public building; or (2) in an area of a covered public building that is fully accessible to the public, including an entryway or hallway.
The bill would use existing federal statutory definitions for the U.S. flag and covered public buildings. It also expressly includes buildings used by Congress or under the Architect of the Capitol, military installations, and U.S. embassies and consulates.
The term flag of the United States has the meaning given the term in section 700(b) of title 18, United States Code.
The term covered public building has the meaning given the term in section 3301(a) of title 40, United States Code.
The term public building includes— (i) a building in use by the Senate or the House of Representatives, or otherwise under the jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol; (ii) a military installation (as defined in section 2801(c) of title 10, United States Code); and (iii) any embassy or consulate of the United States.
The restriction would exempt the designated National League of Families POW/MIA flag, concerning prisoners of war and those missing in action, and the designated Hostage and Wrongful Detainee flag.
The prohibitions under subsection (a) shall not apply to— (1) a National League of Families POW/MIA flag (as designated by section 902 of title 36, United States Code); (2) a Hostage and Wrongful Detainee flag (as designated by section 904 of title 36, United States Code);
A foreign nation’s flag would be exempt when a diplomat or government representative from that nation is visiting the building where the flag is displayed.
(3) any flag that represents the nation of a visiting diplomat or a representative of the government of such nation visiting the public building at which the flag is displayed;
Members of Congress could display their represented state’s flag outside or within their offices under an exception. A separate exception would allow flags representing the state, territory, county, city, or local jurisdiction where a covered building is located.
(4) in the case of a Member of Congress, the State flag of the State represented by such Member that is located outside or within the office of the Member;
(12) any flag that represents the State, territory, county, city, or local jurisdiction in which the public building is located.
Flags representing a military unit or branch, or supporting the Armed Forces, would be exempt. Flags of historical significance to the United States would also be exempt, with the Betsy Ross, Gadsden, and Bennington flags listed as examples.
(5) any flag that represents a unit or branch of the Armed Forces or a flag supporting the Armed Forces; (6) any flag of historical significance to the United States, including the Betsy Ross flag, the Gadsden flag, and the Bennington flag;
Flags representing public safety or commemorating a specific national observance would be exempt. The bill gives the 9/11 Memorial flag and the Remembrance Day flag as examples of national-observance flags.
(7) a flag representing public safety; (8) a flag commemorating a specific national observance, including the 9/11 Memorial flag and the Remembrance Day flag;
During a religious service or ceremony at a military installation or facility, an exception would allow flags representing churches or religious organizations covered by section 501(c)(3) of the tax code and exempt from tax under section 501(a).
(9) in the case of a religious liturgy or ceremony at a military installation or facility, any flag that represents a religious organization or church that is covered by section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code;
A federal agency’s own flag would be exempt in the case of that agency. Flags representing Indian Tribes would also be exempt, using the definition of a Tribe in the cited federal statute.
(10) in the case of a Federal agency, a flag representing such agency; (11) any flag that represents an Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304));
The supplied actions snapshot, updated September 19, 2026, records introduction in the House on February 13, 2025. It also records referrals that day to four House committees and to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Source snapshot updated 2026-09-19T23:37:01Z.
2025-02-13: Introduced in House
2025-02-13: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-02-13: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-13. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The supplied text contains narrow exceptions to its central display restriction. These are permissions for particular flags and circumstances, not findings of improper treatment or motive.
The bill gives Members of Congress a specific exception for their represented state’s flag outside or within their offices. This office-specific permission is distinct from the general exception for flags representing the jurisdiction where a building is located.
(b) Exceptions The prohibitions under subsection (a) shall not apply to—
(4) in the case of a Member of Congress, the State flag of the State represented by such Member that is located outside or within the office of the Member;
(12) any flag that represents the State, territory, county, city, or local jurisdiction in which the public building is located.
The bill gives qualifying tax-exempt churches and religious organizations a narrow exception for their flags during religious services or ceremonies at military installations or facilities. The permission is limited by the organization’s tax status, the occasion, and the location.
(b) Exceptions The prohibitions under subsection (a) shall not apply to—
(9) in the case of a religious liturgy or ceremony at a military installation or facility, any flag that represents a religious organization or church that is covered by section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code;
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Sep 19, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI