WASHINGTON, July 3 A new U.S. law requires that all federal buildings in a state fly U.S. flags at half-staff at the request of that state’s governor.
U.S. President George W. Bush last week signed the measure into law, which amends the Flag Code, The New York Times reported Monday.
The piece of legislation was the result of complaints from the families of fallen soldiers, who were upset to see flags on federal buildings flying high after their respective governors had ordered U.S. flags in the state be flown at half-staff to honor the dead.
“This legislation will ensure consistency in how we honor fallen heroes,” said Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., who sponsored the legislation. “While in many cases the local federal employees want to observe the governors’ orders, they may not have received the appropriate directive from their regional offices.”
But the issue of whether to lower the flag every time a local soldier is killed has sparked controversy, with some saying they feel it is an appropriate way to honor the dead and others saying the gesture loses its meaning if it is done too frequently.
