PUBLIC LAW 114–156—MAY 16, 2016 130 STAT. 391 

Public Law 114–156 

114th Congress 

An Act 

To provide Capitol-flown flags to the immediate family of firefighters, law enforcement officers, members of rescue squads or ambulance crews, and public safety 

officers who are killed in the line of duty. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fallen Heroes Flag Act of 2016’’. 

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

In this Act— 

(1) the term ‘‘Capitol-flown flag’’ means a flag of the United 

States flown over the Capitol in honor of the deceased individual for whom the flag is requested; 

(2) the terms ‘‘chaplain’’, ‘‘firefighter’’, ‘‘law enforcement 

officer’’, ‘‘member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew’’, and 

‘‘public agency’’ have the meanings given such terms in section 

1204 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 

1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796b); 

(3) the term ‘‘immediate family member’’, with respect to 

an individual, means— 

(A) the spouse, parent, brother, sister, or child of the 

individual or a person to whom the individual stands in 

loco parentis; or 

(B) any other person related to the individual by blood 

or marriage; 

(4) the term ‘‘public safety officer’’ means 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; and 

(5) the term ‘‘Representative’’ includes a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress. 

SEC. 3. PROVIDING CAPITOL-FLOWN FLAGS FOR FAMILIES OF FALLEN 

HEROES. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—At the request of an immediate family 

member of a firefighter, law enforcement officer, member of a rescue 

squad or ambulance crew, or public safety officer who died in 

the line of duty, the Representative or Senator of the family may 

provide to the family a Capitol-flown flag, together with the certificate described in subsection (c). 

(b) NO COST TO FAMILY.—A Capitol-flown flag provided under 

this section shall be provided at no cost to the family. 

2 USC 1881a. 

2 USC 1801 note. 

Fallen Heroes 

Flag Act of 2016. 

May 16, 2016 

[S. 2755] 


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130 STAT. 392 PUBLIC LAW 114–156—MAY 16, 2016 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 2755 (H.R. 723): 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 162 (2016): 

Apr. 19, considered and passed Senate. 

May 10, considered and passed House. 

Æ 

(c) CERTIFICATE.—The certificate described in this subsection 

is a certificate which is signed by the Speaker of the House of 

Representatives and the Representative, or the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Senator, providing the Capitol-flown 

flag, as applicable, and which contains an expression of sympathy 

for the family involved from the House of Representatives or the 

Senate, as applicable. 

SEC. 4. REGULATIONS AND PROCEDURES. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the date of 

enactment of this Act, the Architect of the Capitol shall issue 

regulations for carrying out this Act, including regulations to establish procedures (including any appropriate forms, guidelines, and 

accompanying certificates) for requesting a Capitol-flown flag. 

(b) REVIEW.—The regulations issued under subsection (a) shall 

take effect upon approval by the Committee on House Administration of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Rules 

and Administration of the Senate. 

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

There are authorized to be appropriated for each of fiscal years 

2017 through 2022 such sums as may be necessary to carry out 

this Act, to be derived from amounts appropriated in each such 

fiscal year for the operation of the Architect of the Capitol, except 

that the aggregate amount appropriated to carry out this Act for 

all such fiscal years may not exceed $40,000. 

SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

This Act shall take effect on the date of enactment of this 

Act, except that a Capitol-flown flag may not be provided under 

section 3 until the regulations issued under section 4(a) take effect 

in accordance with section 4(b). 

Approved May 16, 2016. 

2 USC 1881d. 

2 USC 1881c. 

Deadline. 

2 USC 1881b. 


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