HARTFORD – On Tuesday, April 14, the State House of Representatives approved legislation co-sponsored by State Representative David Scribner (R-Brookfield, Bethel) that would prohibit certain restrictions on placing United States flags on the graves of Veterans. House Bill 5138 was approved unanimously by the House of Representatives and now goes to the State Senate for consideration.
The bill would specifically prohibit towns, cemetery associations or ecclesiastical societies that care for cemeteries from restricting the placement of flags on veterans’ graves from the Saturday before Memorial Day until the Monday after July 4 in each year.
The bill originally called for the ability to place flags seven days before Memorial Day but after consultation with various cemetery managers, it was amended to allow for flags to be placed on the Saturday beforehand, which was agreed would not place an additional strain on maintenance staffs.
“Memorial Day is one of the two days each year where a tremendous focus is placed on the sacrifices Veterans have made to protect our freedoms and way of life,” said Rep. Scribner. “There should be no restrictions placed on recognizing their service with flags on their graves at that time.”
