69–006 

115TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 115–119 

HONORING HOMETOWN HEROES ACT 

MAY 15, 2017.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 

the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. GOODLATTE, from the Committee on the Judiciary, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 1892] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill 

(H.R. 1892) to amend title 4, United States Code, to provide for the 

flying of the flag at half-staff in the event of the death of a first 

responder in the line of duty, having considered the same, report 

favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill 

do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

Purpose and Summary ............................................................................................ 1 

Background and Need for the Legislation ............................................................. 2 

Hearings ................................................................................................................... 2 

Committee Consideration ........................................................................................ 2 

Committee Votes ...................................................................................................... 2 

Committee Oversight Findings ............................................................................... 2 

New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures ...................................................... 2 

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate .......................................................... 3 

Duplication of Federal Programs ............................................................................ 3 

Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings ..................................................................... 4 

Performance Goals and Objectives ......................................................................... 4 

Advisory on Earmarks ............................................................................................. 4 

Section-by-Section Analysis .................................................................................... 4 

Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported ..................................... 4 

Purpose and Summary 

H.R. 1892 expands the existing authority of state governors and 

the Mayor of the District of Columbia to order that the American 

flag be flown at half-staff, to include situations involving a line-ofVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:25 May 16, 2017 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR119.XXX HR119

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1See 4 U.S.C. § 7(m). 

duty death of a ‘‘first responder,’’ which encompasses firefighters, 

law enforcement officers, and EMS professionals. 

Background and Need for the Legislation 

Title 4, United States Code, provides guidelines for the display 

of the U.S. flag in certain circumstances—i.e., where the flag 

should be displayed in a procession with another flag or flags, or 

when displayed against a wall, over a street, or on a speaker’s platform. Title 4 also provides instructions for when it is appropriate 

to fly the flag at half-staff. Under current law, the flag is required 

to be flown at half-staff at Federal installations or facilities in the 

event of the death of certain Federal officials, such as the President, Vice President, or Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Separately, the governor of each State, territory, and possession, and 

the Mayor of the District of Columbia, may issue a proclamation 

directing that the flag be flown at half-staff, at Federal installations or facilities covered by the proclamation, in the event of the 

death of a State or local official, or a member of the Armed Forces.1

However, the statute does not specifically grant the governors or 

the D.C. Mayor the authority to direct that the flag be flown at 

half-staff in the event of the line-of-duty death of a ‘‘first responder.’’ 

Hearings 

The Committee on the Judiciary held no hearings on H.R. 1892. 

Committee Consideration 

On May 3, 2017, the Committee met in open session and ordered 

the bill H.R. 1892 favorably reported, without amendment, by voice 

vote, a quorum being present. 

Committee Votes 

In compliance with clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee advises that there were 

no recorded votes during the Committee’s consideration of H.R. 

1892. 

Committee Oversight Findings 

In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee advises that the findings 

and recommendations of the Committee, based on oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, are incorporated in the descriptive portions of this report. 

New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures 

Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is inapplicable because this legislation does not provide new 

budgetary authority or increased tax expenditures. 


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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate 

In compliance with clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee sets forth, with respect to 

the bill, H.R. 1892, the following estimate and comparison prepared 

by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 

402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: 

MAY 5, 2017. 

Hon. BOB GOODLATTE, 

Chairman. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1892, the Honoring 

Hometown Heroes Act. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew Pickford, who 

can be reached at 226–2860. 

Sincerely, 

KEITH HALL. 

Enclosure. 

cc: Honorable John Conyers, Jr. 

Ranking Member 

H.R. 1892—Honoring Hometown Heroes Act 

H.R. 1892 would amend federal law to allow a U.S. flag to be 

flown at half-staff following the death of a first responder in any 

state, territory, possession, or the District of Columbia. Under the 

bill proclamations to order the display of the flag at half-staff 

would be made by the governor of the jurisdiction or the Mayor of 

the District of Columbia. 

Because the flag is displayed daily at federal facilities, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1892 would have no effect on the 

federal budget. Enacting the legislation would not affect direct 

spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not 

apply. 

CBO estimates that H.R. 1892 would not increase net direct 

spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10- 

year periods beginning in 2028. 

H.R. 1892 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would 

impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew Pickford. 

This estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

Duplication of Federal Programs 

No provision of H.R. 1892 establishes or reauthorizes a program 

of the Federal government known to be duplicative of another Federal program, a program that was included in any report from the 

Government Accountability Office to Congress pursuant to section 

21 of Public Law 111–139, or a program related to a program identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. 


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Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings 

The Committee estimates that H.R. 1892 specifically directs to be 

completed no specific rule makings within the meaning of 5 U.S.C. 

551. 

Performance Goals and Objectives 

The Committee states that pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, H.R. 1892, the ‘‘Honoring Hometown Heroes Act,’’ provides state and territorial governors and the Mayor of the District of Columbia the authority to 

order the flying of the flag at half-staff in the event of the death 

of a first responder in the line of duty. 

Advisory on Earmarks 

In accordance with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, H.R. 1892 does not contain any congressional 

earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined 

in clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of rule XXI. 

Section-by-Section Analysis 

The following discussion describes the bill as reported by the 

Committee. 

Section 1. Short Title. This section cites the short title of the legislation as the ‘‘Honoring Hometown Heroes Act.’’ 

Section 2. Permitting the Flag to be Flown at Half-Staff in the 

Event of the Death of a First Responder Serving in the Line of Duty. 

This section amends section 7(m) of title 4, United States Code, to 

permit governors of U.S. states, territories, or possessions to direct 

that the Flag be flown at half-staff in the event of the death of a 

first responder in the line of duty. This section defines ‘‘first responder’’ to mean ‘‘public safety officer’’ as defined in 42 U.S.C. 

§ 3796b (i.e., ‘‘an individual serving a public agency in an official 

capacity, with or without compensation, as a law enforcement officer, as a firefighter, or as a chaplain.’’). 

Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported 

In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, 

as reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italic, 

and existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in 

roman): 

TITLE 4, UNITED STATES CODE 

* * * * * * * 

CHAPTER 1—THE FLAG 

* * * * * * * 

§ 7. Position and manner of display 

The flag, when carried in a procession with another flag or flags, 

should be either on the marching right; that is, the flag’s own 


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right, or, if there is a line of other flags, in front of the center of 

that line. 

(a) The flag should not be displayed on a float in a parade except 

from a staff, or as provided in subsection (i) of this section. 

(b) The flag should not be draped over the hood, top, sides, or 

back of a vehicle or of a railroad train or a boat. When the flag is 

displayed on a motorcar, the staff shall be fixed firmly to the chassis or clamped to the right fender. 

(c) No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the 

same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America, 

except during church services conducted by naval chaplains at sea, 

when the church pennant may be flown above the flag during 

church services for the personnel of the Navy. No person shall display the flag of the United Nations or any other national or international flag equal, above, or in a position of superior prominence 

or honor to, or in place of, the flag of the United States at any 

place within the United States or any Territory or possession thereof: Provided, That nothing in this section shall make unlawful the 

continuance of the practice heretofore followed of displaying the 

flag of the United Nations in a position of superior prominence or 

honor, and other national flags in positions of equal prominence or 

honor, with that of the flag of the United States at the headquarters of the United Nations. 

(d) The flag of the United States of America, when it is displayed 

with another flag against a wall from crossed staffs, should be on 

the right, the flag’s own right, and its staff should be in front of 

the staff of the other flag. 

(e) The flag of the United States of America should be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags 

of States or localities or pennants of societies are grouped and displayed from staffs. 

(f) When flags of States, cities, or localities, or pennants of societies are flown on the same halyard with the flag of the United 

States, the latter should always be at the peak. When the flags are 

flown from adjacent staffs, the flag of the United States should be 

hoisted first and lowered last. No such flag or pennant may be 

placed above the flag of the United States or to the United States 

flag’s right. 

(g) When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they are to 

be flown from separate staffs of the same height. The flags should 

be of approximately equal size. International usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time 

of peace. 

(h) When the flag of the United States is displayed from a staff 

projecting horizontally or at an angle from the window sill, balcony, 

or front of a building, the union of the flag should be placed at the 

peak of the staff unless the flag is at half-staff. When the flag is 

suspended over a sidewalk from a rope extending from a house to 

a pole at the edge of the sidewalk, the flag should be hoisted out, 

union first, from the building. 

(i) When displayed either horizontally or vertically against a 

wall, the union should be uppermost and to the flag’s own right, 

that is, to the observer’s left. When displayed in a window, the flag 

should be displayed in the same way, with the union or blue field 

to the left of the observer in the street. 


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(j) When the flag is displayed over the middle of the street, it 

should be suspended vertically with the union to the north in an 

east and west street or to the east in a north and south street. 

(k) When used on a speaker’s platform, the flag, if displayed flat, 

should be displayed above and behind the speaker. When displayed 

from a staff in a church or public auditorium, the flag of the United 

States of America should hold the position of superior prominence, 

in advance of the audience, and in the position of honor at the clergyman’s or speaker’s right as he faces the audience. Any other flag 

so displayed should be placed on the left of the clergyman or speaker or to the right of the audience. 

(l) The flag should form a distinctive feature of the ceremony of 

unveiling a statue or monument, but it should never be used as the 

covering for the statue or monument. 

(m) The flag, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to 

the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. 

The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for 

the day. On Memorial Day the flag should be displayed at half-staff 

until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff. By order of the 

President, the flag shall be flown at half-staff upon the death of 

principal figures of the United States Government and the Governor of a State, territory, or possession, as a mark of respect to 

their memory. In the event of the death of other officials or foreign 

dignitaries, the flag is to be displayed at half-staff according to 

Presidential instructions or orders, or in accordance with recognized customs or practices not inconsistent with law. In the event 

of the death of a present or former official of the government of any 

State, territory, or possession of the United States øor¿, the death 

of a member of the Armed Forces from any State, territory, or possession who dies while serving on active duty, or the death of a first 

responder working in any State, territory, or possession who dies 

while serving in the line of duty, the Governor of that State, territory, or possession may proclaim that the National flag shall be 

flown at half-staff, and the same authority is provided to the Mayor 

of the District of Columbia with respect to present or former officials of the District of Columbia øand¿, members of the Armed 

Forces from the District of Columbia, and first responders working 

in the District of Columbia. When the Governor of a State, territory, or possession, or the Mayor of the District of Columbia, issues 

a proclamation under the preceding sentence that the National flag 

be flown at half-staff in that State, territory, or possession or in the 

District of Columbia because of the death of a member of the 

Armed Forces, the National flag flown at any Federal installation 

or facility in the area covered by that proclamation shall be flown 

at half-staff consistent with that proclamation. The flag shall be 

flown at half-staff 30 days from the death of the President or a 

former President; 10 days from the day of death of the Vice President, the Chief Justice or a retired Chief Justice of the United 

States, or the Speaker of the House of Representatives; from the 

day of death until interment of an Associate Justice of the Supreme 

Court, a Secretary of an executive or military department, a former 

Vice President, or the Governor of a State, territory, or possession; 

and on the day of death and the following day for a Member of 

Congress. The flag shall be flown at half-staff on Peace Officers 


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Memorial Day, unless that day is also Armed Forces Day. As used 

in this subsection— 

(1) the term ‘‘half-staff’’ means the position of the flag when 

it is one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the 

staff; 

(2) the term ‘‘executive or military department’’ means any 

agency listed under sections 101 and 102 of title 5ø, United 

States Code; and¿; 

(3) the term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ means a Senator, a Representative, a Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner from 

Puerto Ricoø.¿; and 

(4) the term ‘‘first responder’’ means a ‘‘public safety officer’’ 

as defined in section 1204 of the Omnibus Crime Control and 

Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796b). 

(n) When the flag is used to cover a casket, it should be so placed 

that the union is at the head and over the left shoulder. The flag 

should not be lowered into the grave or allowed to touch the 

ground. 

(o) When the flag is suspended across a corridor or lobby in a 

building with only one main entrance, it should be suspended 

vertically with the union of the flag to the observer’s left upon entering. If the building has more than one main entrance, the flag 

should be suspended vertically near the center of the corridor or 

lobby with the union to the north, when entrances are to the east 

and west or to the east when entrances are to the north and south. 

If there are entrances in more than two directions, the union 

should be to the east. 

* * * * * * * 

Æ 


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