All-American Flag Act Explained

Shorttitle:All-American Flag Act
Longtitle:All-American Flag Act
Enacted By:118th
Effective Date:July 30, 2024
Leghisturl:https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/1973
Introducedin:Senate
Introducedbill: the All-American Flag Act
Introduceddate:June 14, 2023
Committees:Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Passedbody1:Senate
Passeddate1:November 2, 2023
Passedbody2:House
Passeddate2:July 22, 2024
Signedpresident:Joe Biden
Signeddate:July 30, 2024

The All-American Act, Pub. L. 118-74, 138 Stat. 1505, is a U.S. federal statute enacted by the 118th United States Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on July 30, 2024. The act mandates that American flags purchased by the U.S. government must be produced entirely with American-made materials and manufactured in the United States.

Background and provisions

Prior to the All-American Act, the U.S. government was permitted to purchase flags containing 50% American-made materials.[1]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the value of U.S. imports of American flags was $4.4 million in 2015, of which more than $4 million worth of imported flags came from China. In 2017, the U.S. imported $10 million American flags, 99.5% of which came from China.[2]

The act, codified at 41 U.S.C. § 6310, requires that the U.S. government may only purchase U.S. flags that are “100 percent manufactured in the United States from articles, materials, or supplies that have been grown or 100 percent produced or manufactured in the United States.”[3] The act specifies exceptions, including an exception if flags of satisfactory quality and sufficient quantity cannot be procured as needed at market prices.

Procedural history

U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Joe Manchin (D-WV) introduced the legislation.

The bill S. 1973 was passed in the Senate by unanimous consent on November 2, 2023. On July 22, 2024, the bill was considered and passed by the House. President Biden signed it into law on July 30, 2024.[4]

See also

References

  1. News: Whittle . Patrick . July 29, 2024 . American flags should be born in the USA now, too, Congress says . November 9, 2024 . Associated Press.
  2. Web site: June 29, 2023 . Peters, Brown, Collins & Manchin IntroduceBipartisan Bill to Require Federal Government to Purchase All-American-made Flags . November 9, 2024 . U.S. Senate.
  3. Web site: S.1973 - All-American Flag Act . November 9, 2024 . congress.gov.
  4. Web site: S.1973 - All-American Flag Act . November 9, 2024 . congress.gov.