Pennsylvania House Bill HB336

Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/27/25
• Refer: 1/27/25

Caption

An Act amending the act of June 13, 1907 (P.L.560, No.373), entitled "An act designating the official flag of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and describing the same; providing for the carrying of s . . .uch flag by the regiments of the National Guard of Pennsylvania; authorizing the Secretary of the Commonwealth to provide, and have deposited in the office of Secretary of the Commonwealth, a model of said flag, and making an appropriation therefor," further providing for title of act; and providing for the proper procedure to fold the designated flag of the Commonwealth.

Summary

HB336 amends Pennsylvania’s 1907 law governing the Commonwealth flag. The bill updates the title of the act to reflect a new provision on folding the flag and adds a new section that sets out the “proper procedure” for folding the Pennsylvania flag for presentation or display. The folding instructions are written as a step-by-step sequence, beginning with folding the flag lengthwise to expose the Commonwealth crest and continuing through a series of angled folds and tucks intended to produce a specific final presentation. The bill does not change the design of the flag itself or alter the existing authority of the Secretary of the Commonwealth or the National Guard provisions in the underlying act. Its legal effect is narrow but formal: it inserts an official folding protocol into state law and makes that protocol part of the statutory framework for the Commonwealth flag. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment. The available voting history suggests the measure was received favorably in committee, with the House State Government Committee reporting the bill as committed by a 26-0 vote. No committee transcript or floor debate was provided, so there is no recorded public discussion in the materials about objections or amendments. The unanimous committee vote indicates broad procedural support at that stage. Because the bill is largely ceremonial and administrative, there is little evidence of substantive policy controversy. Any potential points of contention would likely be limited to whether a folding procedure belongs in statute at all, or whether the Commonwealth should codify a specific ceremonial practice rather than leave it to custom or administrative guidance. Based on the vote record provided, however, no significant opposition is apparent.

Impact

HB336 amends the Pennsylvania flag statute by revising the act’s title and adding a new statutory section that prescribes the official folding procedure for the Commonwealth flag. It affects the 1907 flag law, the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s statutory framework, and any state or ceremonial users of the Pennsylvania flag by creating an explicit legal standard for folding the flag for presentation or display. The bill does not appear to impose penalties or create new regulatory duties beyond codifying the folding method.

Sentiment

The sentiment reflected in the available record is positive and noncontroversial. The House State Government Committee reported the bill unanimously, 26-0, suggesting agreement with the measure’s ceremonial and housekeeping purpose. With no transcript available, there is no evidence of organized opposition or significant debate in the materials provided.

Contention

There is little visible contention in the record. The only plausible issue is whether a detailed folding procedure should be written into statute rather than handled through tradition, administrative practice, or military/ceremonial guidance. No member objections, amendments, or policy disputes are shown in the provided materials, and the unanimous committee vote suggests the bill was not politically divisive.