Fallen Heroes Flag Act of 2016
PL 114-156 (S.2755), enacted 05/16/2016

130 STAT. 391 
PUBLIC LAW 114–156—MAY 16, 2016 
Public Law 114–156 
114th Congress 
An Act 
To provide Capitol-flown flags to the immediate family of firefighters, law enforce-
ment 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 indi-
vidual 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 Resi-
dent 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 certifi-
cate 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. 
(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 tem-
pore 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 estab-
lish 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 Administra-
tion 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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