History

• Federal and state regulations regarding the U.S. flag were put into place on June 14, 1923, the first Flag Day. Representatives of the Army and the Navy met at the National Flag Conference and utilized procedures from the armed forces and other organizations.
  
  

Identification

• U.S. Code Title 4, Chapter 1 defines the exact parameters of the presentation and required etiquette when handling the flag. Additional laws regulating flag proportions are defined in Executive Order 10834.
  
  

Misconceptions

• There is no federal law regarding penalties for desecration of the flag. Laws contained in Title 18 regarding penalties were deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1989. The Flag Protection Act, which passed in Congress the following year, was also held as unconstitutional.
  
  

Significance

• According to the U.S. Code, the President of the United States has the right to modify rules regarding the flag. However, this provision does not give authority to any federal official or agency to make these provisions legally binding.
  
  

Considerations

• U.S. Code allows for changes to the flag's imagery on occasion. While the thirteen stripes shall remain the same, the blue field will contain a star for each state in the union. This star is to be added on the next July 4 following admission.