Displaying the state and national flag is an important duty in carrying out our mission for the State of Texas. In addition to creating an identity for the people of Texas, the proper display of the flag leads the people in times of joy and mourning, and in times of celebration and somber reflection.
There are two dates in the month of May that require particular attention with regard to how state and national flags should be displayed. Sunday, May 15, 2022, is Peace Officer Memorial Day, and Monday, May 30, 2022, is Memorial Day.
The Governor’s office says please take note of the laws concerning these official state observances:
Peace Officer Memorial Day: On the morning of Sunday, May 15, both State of Texas and U.S. flags should be raised briskly to full-staff and then slowly lowered to half-staff for the remainder of the display day. Flags should be returned to full-staff on the next day.
Memorial Day: On the morning of Monday, May 30, both State of Texas and U.S. flags should be raised briskly to full-staff and then slowly lowered to half-staff where they will remain until noon. At noon, both the State of Texas and U.S. flags should be raised briskly to full-staff for the remainder of the display day. Flags should be at full-staff the following day.
State agencies are not required to schedule employees for duty on holiday or weekend hours only to comply with flag-flying issues. These requirements only apply to days your agency displays the flag.
To avoid confusion, flags should be flown according to statutory standards and proper procedures of protocol. If your agency is unable to comply with these laws, you should remove all flags from your flag displays for the duration of the memorial events specified above in law.
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General rules
- No flag should fly above the U.S. or State of Texas flag.
- If a flag cannot be properly displayed in relation to the previous rule, then that flag should be grounded and removed from the pole or display.
When U.S. flags are ordered to half-staff
Requirements:
- The U.S. flag shall be flown at half-staff.
- Since no flag in any display shall fly above the U.S. flag, the State of Texas and other flags shall be flown at half-staff for the same duration of time as the U.S. flag.
- At the beginning of the day on which flags have been ordered to half-staff, the U.S. flag shall be raised briskly to the peak of the flagpole and then slowly lowered to the position of half-staff.
Particular flag displays:
- Single-flag pole display: if U.S. and State of Texas flags are displayed on the same flag pole, both U.S. and State of Texas flags shall be flown at half-staff.
- Multiple-flag pole display: if U.S. and State of Texas flags are in the same display on separate poles, both U.S. and State of Texas flags should be lowered to half-staff. If U.S. and State of Texas flags are displayed along with historical replica flags of other nations (e.g., Spain, France, Mexico, and the Confederacy), then the U.S. and State of Texas flags should be displayed at half-staff, and the replica flags should be removed from the display for the period of time the flags have been ordered to half-staff.
When only state flags are ordered to half-staff
- The U.S. flag shall remain at full-staff.
- At the beginning of the day, the State of Texas flag shall be raised briskly to the peak of the flagpole and then slowly lowered to the position of half-staff for the rest of the day.
- No flag in any display shall fly above the U.S. or State of Texas flag.
Particular flag displays:
- Single-flag pole display: if U.S. and State of Texas flags are displayed on the same flagpole, the agency has two options: (a) remove the State of Texas flag from the pole and keep the U.S. flag flying at full-staff; (b) remove the U.S. flag from the pole and fly the State of Texas flag at half-staff. It is not acceptable to have the U.S. flag at full-staff and the State of Texas flag at half-staff on the same pole.
- Multiple-flag pole display: if U.S. and State of Texas flags are in the same display on separate poles, both the U.S. flag may be displayed at full-staff and State of Texas flags should be lowered to half-staff. If U.S. and State of Texas flags are displayed along with historical replica flags of other nations (e.g., Spain, France, Mexico, and the Confederacy), then the U.S. flag may be flown at full-staff and the State of Texas flag should be displayed at half-staff. Any foreign or replica flags should be either flown at half-staff or removed from the display for the period of time the flags have been ordered to half-staff.
SELECT STATUTORY REFERENCES FOR PROPER DISPLAY OF THE FLAG:
Texas Government Code.
Texas Government Code § 3100.065. DISPLAY AT HALF-STAFF.
(a) If the state flag is to be displayed at half-staff, the flag should be hoisted to the peak of the flagpole for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position.
(b) Before the state flag is lowered for the day, it should first be raised to the peak of the flagpole.
(c) On Memorial Day, the state flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon and at that time raised to the peak of the flagpole.
(d) The state flag should be displayed at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day, May 15, unless that date is also Armed Forces Day.
(e) By order of the governor, the state flag shall be displayed at half-staff on a person’s death as a mark of respect to the memory of that person.
Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, § 7.001, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.
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