Sponsor
Ashley Brooke Moody
Senator · R-FL
Senator · R-FL
The bill standardizes a daily patriotic routine in D.C. classrooms and protects accommodations and parental opt-outs, trading off potential coercion and free‑speech risks for modest administrative costs.
Students with disabilities in D.C. schools will be entitled to reasonable accommodations during the daily pledge/flag observance under Title II of the ADA, protecting their access and inclusion.
Parents and families will be able to opt their children out in writing from participating in the pledge/flag routine, preserving parental choice over their child's participation.
Students in D.C. schools will experience a standardized daily Pledge recitation and classroom flag display, reinforcing a common civic routine and patriotic instruction.
Students who object on expressive or religious grounds may feel coerced to participate in the daily pledge/flag observance despite opt-out processes, burdening conscience and free expression.
Prohibitions on disruptive displays during the pledge could be applied to discipline peaceful protest or dissenting student speech, raising free‑speech and assembly concerns.
Mandating a flag display in every classroom will create modest procurement, maintenance, and administrative costs for D.C. schools and taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires D.C. public school classrooms to display the U.S. flag, have students stand for the anthem, and recite the Pledge daily with written parental opt-out and ADA accommodations.
Official title: Establish requirements for patriotic observances in elementary and secondary schools of the District of Columbia.
Introduced July 28, 2026 by Ashley Brooke Moody · Last progress July 28, 2026
Requires District of Columbia public elementary and secondary schools to display the U.S. flag in every classroom, to have students stand at attention for the national anthem, and to recite the Pledge of Allegiance each school day with students standing and placing their right hand over the heart. Schools must notify families of a parental written-opt-out and excuse any student who is excused in writing; schools must also permit reasonable ADA accommodations for students with disabilities who cannot comply. The law prohibits disruptive displays during recitation and applies specifically to D.C. schools. It does not create new funding or federal grants and includes written parental opt-out and disability accommodation requirements but does not specify an effective date in the text provided.