Sponsors (6)
The bill creates an official, VA-administered commemorative flag and a licensing regime to ensure lawful production and recognition for certain survivors, at the cost of limited eligibility, potential VA bureaucratic hurdles, and compliance burdens for small makers.
Surviving next of kin of veterans who died by suicide on or after Sept 11, 2001 can publicly display an official designated flag to recognize their loss and foster community acknowledgement.
Families and the public gain access to officially licensed flags because the bill establishes a trademark/licensing framework that allows manufacturers to lawfully produce the flag and helps prevent unauthorized profiteering.
Administration and oversight are assigned to the Department of Veterans Affairs, integrating flag issuance into an existing veterans-focused agency that is familiar with survivor issues.
Surviving families of veterans who died by suicide before Sept 11, 2001 or of veterans who died from other causes are excluded from eligibility, which may be perceived as unequal recognition.
Eligible families could face bureaucratic hurdles or delays if the VA's licensing and next-of-kin verification processes are slow or narrowly defined, limiting timely access to the flag.
Small or informal flag makers who produce flags without a VA license risk civil penalties (up to $1,000), imposing compliance costs or legal risk on hobbyists and small businesses who may be unaware of the requirement.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a VA‑run Green Star Service Flag program identifying next of kin of veterans who died by suicide since Sept 11, 2001, with licensing for manufacturers and civil penalties for violations.
Creates a VA‑administered Green Star Service Flag program to identify and honor next of kin of veterans who died by suicide on or after September 11, 2001. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must design and designate the flag and may define eligible family members by regulation. Permits next of kin to display the flag, allows any person to apply for a license to manufacture and sell the flag, and establishes a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for manufacturing or using the flag without a license or otherwise violating the new rules. The bill adds this new authority to chapter 9 of title 36, U.S. Code, and updates the table of sections accordingly.
Introduced November 12, 2025 by Robert P. Bresnahan · Last progress November 12, 2025