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What is the U.S. Code?
The United States Code is
the official, subject matter
order, compilation of the
Federal laws of a general
and permanent nature that
are currently in force. In
accordance with
section 285b
of title 2 of the U.S.
Code, the Code is compiled
by the Office of the Law
Revision Counsel of the
United States House of
Representatives. The Code is
divided into 50 titles by
subject matter. Each title
is divided into sections.
Sections within a title may
be grouped together as
subtitles, chapters,
subchapters, parts,
subparts, or divisions.
Titles may also have
appendices which may be
divided into sections, rules
and/or forms.
The subjects covered by the
50 titles of the U.S. Code
are:
1. General Provisions
2. The Congress
3. The President
4. Flag and Seal, Seat of
Government, and the States
5. Government Organization
and Employees
6. Surety Bonds (repealed by
the enactment of Title 31)
7. Agriculture
8. Aliens and Nationality
9. Arbitration
10. Armed Forces
11. Bankruptcy
12. Banks and Banking
13. Census
14. Coast Guard
15. Commerce and Trade
16. Conservation
17. Copyrights
18. Crimes and Criminal
Procedure
19. Customs Duties
20. Education
21. Food and Drugs
22. Foreign Relations and
Intercourse
23. Highways
24. Hospitals and Asylums
25. Indians
26. Internal Revenue Code
27. Intoxicating Liquors
28. Judiciary and Judicial
Procedure
29. Labor
30. Mineral Lands and Mining
31. Money and Finance
32. National Guard
33. Navigation and Navigable
Waters
34. Navy (eliminated by the
enactment of Title 10)
35. Patents
36. Patriotic Societies and
Observations
37. Pay and Allowances of
the Uniformed Services
38. Veterans' Benefits
39. Postal Service
40. Public Buildings,
Property, and Works
41. Public Contracts
42. The Public Health and
Welfare
43. Public Lands
44. Public Printing and
Documents
45. Railroads
46. Shipping
47. Telegraphs, Telephones,
and Radiotelegraphs
48. Territories and Insular
Possessions
49. Transportation
50. War and National Defense
The "FLAG CODE"
Previous to Flag Day, June
14, 1923 there were no
federal or state regulations
governing display of the
United States Flag. It was
on this date that the
National Flag Code was
adopted by the National Flag
Conference which was
attended by representatives
of the Army and Navy which
had evolved their own
procedures, and some 66
other national groups. This
purpose of providing
guidance based on the Army
and Navy procedures relating
to display and associated
questions about the U. S.
Flag was adopted by all
organizations in attendance.
A few minor changes were
made a year later during the
Flag Day 1924 Conference, It
was not until June 22, 1942
that Congress passed a joint
resolution which was amended
on December 22, 1942 to
become Public Law 829;
Chapter 806, 77th Congress,
2nd session. Exact rules for
use and display of the flag
(36 U.S.C. 173-178) as well
as associated sections (36
U.S.C. 171) Conduct
during Playing of the
National Anthem, (36
U.S.C. 172) the Pledge
of Allegiance to the Flag,
and Manner of Delivery were
included.
This code is the guide for
all handling and display of
the Stars and Stripes. It
does not impose penalties
for misuse of the United
States Flag. That is left to
the states and to the
federal government for the
District of Columbia. Each
state has its own flag law.
Criminal penalties for
certain acts of desecration
to the flag were contained
in Title 18 of the United
States Code prior to 1989.
The Supreme Court decision
in Texas v. Johnson; June
21, 1989, held the statute
unconstitutional. This
statute was amended when the
Flag Protection Act of 1989
(Oct. 28, 1989) imposed a
fine and/or up to I year in
prison for knowingly
mutilating, defacing,
physically defiling,
maintaining on the floor or
trampling upon any flag of
the United States. The Flag
Protection Act of 1989 was
struck down by the Supreme
Court decision, United
States vs. Eichman, decided
on June 11, 1990.
While the Code empowers the
President of the United
States to alter, modify,
repeal or prescribe
additional rules regarding
the Flag, no federal agency
has the authority to issue
'official' rulings legally
binding on civilians or
civilian groups.
Consequently, different
interpretations of various
provisions of the Code may
continue to be made. The
Flag Code may be fairly
tested: 'No disrespect
should be shown to the Flag
of the United States of
America.' Therefore, actions
not specifically included in
the Code may be deemed
acceptable as long as proper
respect is shown.
UNITED STATES CODE
Where to Purchase a Copy of
the U.S. Code
If you are using it for
legal research, I urge you
to verify your results with
the printed U.S. Code
available through the U.S.
Government Printing Office.
The printed U.S Code is
available for purchase
through the Government
Printing Office (GPO) at
(202) 512-1800, Monday
through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4
p.m., eastern time. Orders
can also be sent by mail to:
Superintendent of Documents
U.S. Government Printing
Office
P.O. Box 371954
Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954
GPO accepts checks, VISA,
and MasterCard.
The U.S. Code is also
available on CD-ROM from the
Goverment Printing Office.
The U.S. Code CD-ROM with
the laws in effect as of
January 2, 1992, (stock
number 052-001-00438-8) is
available for $34. The U.S.
Code CD-ROM with the laws in
effect as of January 4,
1993, (stock number
052-001-00389-6) will be
available (January 17, 1995)
for $36. The U.S. Code
CD-ROM with the laws in
effect as of January 24,
1994, is scheduled to be
available March 31, 1995.
On-Line copy
of
the U.S. Code.
Source of
document below: CD-ROM
prepared and published by
the Office of the Law
Revision Counsel of the
House of Representatives. It
contains the laws in force
on January 4, 1993.
UNITED STATES CODE
TITLE 36
CHAPTER 10
PATRIOTIC CUSTOMS
§170.
National anthem;
Star-Spangled Banner
The composition consisting
of the words and music known
as The Star-Spangled Banner
is designated the national
anthem of the United States
of America.
§171.
Conduct during playing
During rendition of the
national anthem when the
flag is displayed, all
present except those in
uniform should stand at
attention facing the flag
with the right hand over the
heart. Men not in uniform
should remove their
headdress with their right
hand and hold it at the left
shoulder, the hand being
over the heart. Persons in
uniform should render the
military salute at the first
note of the anthem and
retain this position until
the last note. When the flag
is not displayed, those
present should face toward
the music and act in the
same manner they would if
the flag were displayed
there.
§172.
Pledge of allegiance to the
flag; manner of delivery
The Pledge of Allegiance to
the Flag, 'I pledge
allegiance to the Flag of
the United States of
America, and to the Republic
for which it stands, one
Nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty
and justice for all.',
should be rendered by
standing at attention facing
the flag with the right hand
over the heart. When not in
uniform men should remove
their headdress with their
right hand and hold it at
the left shoulder, the hand
being over the heart.
Persons in uniform should
remain silent, face the
flag, and render the
military salute.
§173.
Display and use of flag by
civilians; codification of
rules and customs;
definition
The following codification
of existing rules and
customs pertaining to the
display and use of the flag
of the United States of
America is established for
the use of such civilians or
civilian groups or
organizations as may not be
required to conform with
regulations promulgated by
one or more executive
departments of the
Government of the United
States. The flag of the
United States for the
purpose of this chapter
shall be defined according
to sections 1
and 2 of
title 4 and Executive Order
10834 issued pursuant
thereto.
§174. Time
and occasions for display
-
(a) Display on buildings
and stationary
flagstaffs in open;
night display
It is the universal
custom to display the
flag only from sunrise
to sunset on buildings
and on stationary
flagstaffs in the open.
However, when a
patriotic effect is
desired, the flag may be
displayed twenty-four
hours a day if properly
illuminated during the
hours of darkness.
-
(b) Manner of hoisting
The flag should be
hoisted briskly and
lowered ceremoniously.
-
(c) Inclement weather
The flag should not be
displayed on days when
the weather is
inclement, except when
an all weather flag is
displayed.
-
(d) Particular days of
display
The flag should be
displayed on all days,
especially on New Year's
Day, January 1;
Inauguration Day,
January 20; Lincoln's
Birthday, February 12;
Washington's Birthday,
third Monday in
February; Easter Sunday
(variable); Mother's
Day, second Sunday in
May; Armed Forces Day,
third Saturday in May;
Memorial Day (half-staff
until noon), the last
Monday in May; Flag Day,
June 14; Independence
Day, July 4; Labor Day,
first Monday in
September; Constitution
Day, September 17;
Columbus Day, second
Monday in October; Navy
Day, October 27;
Veterans Day, November
11; Thanksgiving Day,
fourth Thursday in
November; Christmas Day,
December 25; and such
other days as may be
proclaimed by the
President of the United
States; the birthdays of
States (date of
admission); and on State
holidays.
-
(e) Display on or near
administration building
of public institutions
The flag should be
displayed daily on or
near the main
administration building
of every public
institution.
-
(f) Display in or near
polling places
The flag should be
displayed in or near
every polling place on
election days.
-
(g) Display in or near
schoolhouses
The flag should be
displayed during school
days in or near every
schoolhouse.
§175.
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 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.
-
(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,
the Governor of that
State, territory, or
possession may proclaim
that the National flag
shall be flown at
half-staff. The flag
shall be flown at
half-staff thirty days
from the death of the
President or a former
President; ten 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. 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 5;
and
-
(3) the term 'Member
of Congress' means a
Senator, a
Representative, a
Delegate, or the
Resident
Commissioner from
Puerto Rico.
-
(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.
§176.
Respect for flag
No disrespect should be
shown to the flag of the
United States of America;
the flag should not be
dipped to any person or
thing. Regimental colors,
State flags, and
organization or
institutional flags are to
be dipped as a mark of
honor.
-
(a) The flag should
never be displayed with
the union down, except
as a signal of dire
distress in instances of
extreme danger to life
or property.
-
(b) The flag should
never touch anything
beneath it, such as the
ground, the floor,
water, or merchandise.
-
(c) The flag should
never be carried flat or
horizontally, but always
aloft and free.
-
(d) The flag should
never be used as wearing
apparel, bedding, or
drapery. It should never
be festooned, drawn
back, nor up, in folds,
but always allowed to
fall free. Bunting of
blue, white, and red,
always arranged with the
blue above, the white in
the middle, and the red
below, should be used
for covering a speaker's
desk, draping the front
of the platform, and for
decoration in general.
-
(e) The flag should
never be fastened,
displayed, used, or
stored in such a manner
as to permit it to be
easily torn, soiled, or
damaged in any way.
-
(f) The flag should
never be used as a
covering for a ceiling.
-
(g) The flag should
never have placed upon
it, nor on any part of
it, nor attached to it
any mark, insignia,
letter, word, figure,
design, picture, or
drawing of any nature.
-
(h) The flag should
never be used as a
receptacle for
receiving, holding,
carrying, or delivering
anything.
-
(i) The flag should
never be used for
advertising purposes in
any manner whatsoever.
It should not be
embroidered on such
articles as cushions or
handkerchiefs and the
like, printed or
otherwise impressed on
paper napkins or boxes
or anything that is
designed for temporary
use and discard.
Advertising signs should
not be fastened to a
staff or halyard from
which the flag is flown.
-
(j) No part of the flag
should ever be used as a
costume or athletic
uniform. However, a flag
patch may be affixed to
the uniform of military
personnel, firemen,
policemen, and members
of patriotic
organizations. The flag
represents a living
country and is itself
considered a living
thing. Therefore, the
lapel flag pin being a
replica, should be worn
on the left lapel near
the heart.
-
(k) The flag, when it is
in such condition that
it is no longer a
fitting emblem for
display, should be
destroyed in a dignified
way, preferably by
burning.
§177.
Conduct during hoisting,
lowering or passing of flag
During the ceremony of
hoisting or lowering the
flag or when the flag is
passing in a parade or in
review, all persons present
except those in uniform
should face the flag and
stand at attention with the
right hand over the heart.
Those present in uniform
should render the military
salute. When not in uniform,
men should remove their
headdress with their right
hand and hold it at the left
shoulder, the hand being
over the heart. Aliens
should stand at attention.
The salute to the flag in a
moving column should be
rendered at the moment the
flag passes.
§178.
Modification of rules and
customs by President
Any rule or custom
pertaining to the display of
the flag of the United
States of America, set forth
herein, may be altered,
modified, or repealed, or
additional rules with
respect thereto may be
prescribed, by the Commander
in Chief of the Armed Forces
of the United States,
whenever he deems it to be
appropriate or desirable;
and any such alteration or
additional rule shall be set
forth in a proclamation.
§179.
Design for service flag;
persons entitled to display
flag
The Secretary of Defense is
authorized and directed to
approve a design for a
service flag, which flag may
be displayed in a window of
the place of residence of
persons who are members of
the immediate family of a
person serving in the armed
forces of the United States
during any period of war or
hostilities in which the
Armed Forces of the United
States may be engaged.
§180.
Design for service lapel
button; persons entitled to
wear button
The Secretary of Defense is
also authorized and directed
to approve a design for a
service lapel button, which
button may be worn by
members of the immediate
family of a person serving
in the armed forces of the
United States during any
period of war or hostilities
in which the Armed Forces of
the United States may be
engaged.
§181.
Approval of designs by
Secretary of Defense;
license to manufacture and
sell; penalties
Upon the approval by the
Secretary of Defense of the
design for such service flag
and service lapel button, he
shall cause notice thereof,
together with a description
of the approved flag and
button, to be published in
the Federal Register.
Thereafter any person may
apply to the Secretary of
Defense for a license to
manufacture and sell the
approved service flag, or
the approved service lapel
button, or both. Any person,
firm, or corporation who
manufactures any such
service flag or service
lapel button without having
first obtained such a
license, or otherwise
violates sections
179 to
182 of
this title, shall, upon
conviction thereof, be fined
not more than $1,000.
§182.
Rules and regulations
The Secretary of Defense is
authorized to make such
rules and regulations as may
be necessary to carry out
the provisions of sections
179 to
182 of
this title.
§182a to 182d. Repealed.
Pub. L. 89-534, § 2, Aug.
11, 1966, 80 Stat. 345
§183, 184.
Repealed. Pub. L. 85-857, §
14(84), Sept. 2, 1958, 72
Stat. 1272
§185.
Transferred
§186.
National motto
The national motto of the
United States is declared to
be 'In God we trust.'
§187.
National floral emblem
The flower commonly known as
the rose is designated and
adopted as the national
floral emblem of the United
States of America, and the
President of the United
States is authorized and
requested to declare such
fact by proclamation.
§188.
National march
The composition by John
Philip Sousa entitled 'The
Stars and Stripes Forever'
is hereby designated as the
national march of the United
States of America.
§189.
Recognition of National
League of Families POW/MIA
flag
The National League of
Families POW/MIA flag is
hereby recognized officially
and designated as the symbol
of our Nation's concern and
commitment to resolving as
fully as possible the fates
of Americans still prisoner,
missing and unaccounted for
in Southeast Asia, thus
ending the uncertainty for
their families and the
Nation.
Miscellaneous References
UNITED STATES CODE
TITLE 4
CHAPTER 1 - THE FLAG
§1. Flag;
stripes and stars on
The flag of the United
States shall be thirteen
horizontal stripes,
alternate red and white; and
the union of the flag shall
be forty-eight stars, white
in a blue field.
§ 2. Same;
additional stars
On the admission of a new
State into the Union one
star shall be added to the
union of the flag; and such
addition shall take effect
on the fourth day of July
then next succeeding such
admission.
§ 3. Use of flag for
advertising purposes;
mutilation of flag
Any person who, within the
District of Columbia, in any
manner, for exhibition or
display, shall place or
cause to be placed any word,
figure, mark, picture,
design, drawing, or any
advertisement of any nature
upon any flag, standard,
colors, or ensign of the
United States of America; or
shall expose or cause to be
exposed to public view any
such flag, standard, colors,
or ensign upon which shall
have been printed, painted,
or otherwise placed, or to
which shall be attached,
appended, affixed, or
annexed any word, figure,
mark, picture, design, or
drawing, or any
advertisement of any nature;
or who, within the District
of Columbia, shall
manufacture, sell, expose
for sale, or to public view,
or give away or have in
possession for sale, or to
be given away or for use for
any purpose, any article or
substance being an article
of merchandise, or a
receptacle for merchandise
or article or thing for
carrying or transporting
merchandise, upon which
shall have been printed,
painted, attached, or
otherwise placed a
representation of any such
flag, standard, colors, or
ensign, to advertise, call
attention to, decorate,
mark, or distinguish the
article or substance on
which so placed shall be
deemed guilty of a
misdemeanor and shall be
punished by a fine not
exceeding $100 or by
imprisonment for not more
than thirty days, or both,
in the discretion of the
court. The words 'flag,
standard, colors, or
ensign', as used herein,
shall include any flag,
standard, colors, ensign, or
any picture or
representation of either, or
of any part or parts of
either, made of any
substance or represented on
any substance, of any size
evidently purporting to be
either of said flag,
standard, colors, or ensign
of the United States of
America or a picture or a
representation of either,
upon which shall be shown
the colors, the stars and
the stripes, in any number
of either thereof, or of any
part or parts of either, by
which the average person
seeing the same without
deliberation may believe the
same to represent the flag,
colors, standard, or ensign
of the United States of
America.
UNITED STATES
CODE
TITLE 4
CHAPTER 2 - THE SEAL
§ 41. Seal of the United
States
The seal heretofore used by
the United States in
Congress assembled is
declared to be the seal of
the United States.
§ 42. Same; custody and use
of
The Secretary of State shall
have the custody and charge
of such seal. Except as
provided by section
2902(a)
of title 5, the seal shall
not be affixed to any
instrument without the
special warrant of the
President therefor.
UNITED STATES
CODE
TITLE 5
PART III
CHAPTER 29 - COMMISSIONS,
OATHS, RECORDS, AND REPORTS
SUBCHAPTER I - COMMISSIONS,
OATHS, AND RECORDS
§ 2902.
Commission; where recorded
(a) Except as provided by
subsections (b) and (c) of
this section, the Secretary
of State shall make out and
record, and affix the seal
of the United States to, the
commission of an officer
appointed by the President.
The seal of the United
States may not be affixed to
the commission before the
commission has been signed
by the President
UNITED STATES
CODE
TITLE 5 PART I
CHAPTER 1 - ORGANIZATION
§ 101. Executive departments
The Executive departments
are:
The Department of State. The
Department of the Treasury.
The Department of Defense.
The Department of Justice.
The Department of the
Interior. The Department of
Agriculture. The Department
of Commerce. The Department
of Labor. The Department of
Health and Human Services.
The Department of Housing
and Urban Development. The
Department of
Transportation. The
Department of Energy. The
Department of Education. The
Department of Veterans
Affairs.
§ 102. Military departments
The military departments
are:
The Department of the Army.
The Department of the Navy.
The Department of the Air
Force.
UNITED STATES
CODE
TITLE 18
Part I. CRIMES AND CRIMINAL
PROCEDURE
CHAPTER 33 - EMBLEMS,
INSIGNIA, AND NAMES
THIS TITLE WAS ENACTED BY
ACT JUNE 25, 1948, CH. 645,
SEC. 1, 62 STAT. 683
§ 700. Desecration of the
flag of the United States;
penalties
-
(a)(1) Whoever knowingly
mutilates, defaces,
physically defiles,
burns, maintains on the
floor or ground, or
tramples upon any flag
of the United States
shall be fined under
this title or imprisoned
for not more than one
year, or both.
-
(2) This subsection does
not prohibit any conduct
consisting of the
disposal of a flag when
it has become worn or
soiled.
-
(b) As used in this
section, the term 'flag
of the United States'
means any flag of the
United States, or any
part thereof, made of
any substance, of any
size, in a form that is
commonly displayed.
-
(c) Nothing in this
section shall be
construed as indicating
an intent on the part of
Congress to deprive any
State, territory,
possession, or the
Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico of jurisdiction
over any offense over
which it would have
jurisdiction in the
absence of this section.
-
(d)(1) An appeal may be
taken directly to the
Supreme Court of the
United States from any
interlocutory or final
judgment, decree, or
order issued by a United
States district court
ruling upon the
constitutionality of
subsection (a).
-
(2) The Supreme Court
shall, if it has not
previously ruled on the
question, accept
jurisdiction over the
appeal and advance on
the docket and expedite
to the greatest extent
possible.
UNITED STATES
CODE
TITLE 2
CHAPTER 9A - ORGANIZATION
§ 285b. Functions
The functions of the Office
shall be as follows:
-
(1) To prepare, and
submit to the Committee
on the Judiciary one
title at a time, a
complete compilation,
restatement, and
revision of the general
and permanent laws of
the United States which
conforms to the
understood policy,
intent, and purpose of
the Congress in the
original enactments,
with such amendments and
corrections as will
remove ambiguities,
contradictions, and
other imperfections both
of substance and of
form, separately stated,
with a view to the
enactment of each title
as positive law.
-
(2) To examine
periodically all of the
public laws enacted by
the Congress and submit
to the Committee on the
Judiciary
recommendations for the
repeal of obsolete,
superfluous, and
superseded provisions
contained therein.
-
(3) To prepare and
publish periodically a
new edition of the
United States Code
(including those titles
which are not yet
enacted into positive
law as well as those
titles which have been
so enacted), with annual
cumulative supplements
reflecting newly enacted
laws.
-
(4) To classify newly
enacted provisions of
law to their proper
positions in the Code
where the titles
involved have not yet
been enacted into
positive law.
-
(5) To prepare and
submit periodically such
revisions in the titles
of the Code which have
been enacted into
positive law as may be
necessary to keep such
titles current.
-
(6) To prepare and
publish periodically new
editions of the District
of Columbia Code, with
annual cumulative
supplements reflecting
newly enacted laws,
through publication of
the fifth annual
cumulative supplement to
the 1973 edition of such
Code.
-
(7) To provide the
Committee on the
Judiciary with such
advice and assistance as
the committee may
request in carrying out
its functions with
respect to the revision
and codification of the
Federal statutes.
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