Sec. 1.

(1) June 14 through July 14 each year is designated as the official flag month of this state.

(2) Handling and displaying the flag of the United States is encouraged according to the following guidelines:

(a) The flag of the United States should be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of states or localities or pennants of societies are grouped and displayed from staffs.

(b) When flags of states, cities, or localities, or pennants of societies are flown on the same halyard with the flag of the United States, the flag of the United States should always be at the peak. When the flags are flown from adjacent staffs, the flag of the United States should be hoisted first and lowered last. No other flag or pennant should be placed above the flag of the United States or to the United States flag's right.

(c) When flags of 2 or more nations are displayed, they should be flown from separate staffs of the same height. The flags should be of approximately equal size. A flag of 1 nation should not be placed above the flag of another nation in time of peace.

(d) When the flag of the United States is displayed from a staff projecting horizontally or at an angle from the windowsill, balcony, or front of a building, the union of the flag should be placed at the peak of the staff. The flag should be hoisted out, union first, from the building.

(e) When the flag of the United States is displayed either horizontally or vertically, the union should be uppermost and to the flag's own right and should be to the observer's left. When displayed in a window, the flag of the United States should be displayed in the same way, with the union or blue field to the left of the observer in the street.

(f) When the flag is displayed over the middle of the street, it should be suspended vertically with the union to the north in an east and west street and to the east in a north and south street.

(g) When used on a speaker's platform, the flag, if displayed flat, should be displayed above and behind the speaker.

(h) When displayed from a staff in a church or public auditorium, the flag of the United States should be at the clergyman's or speaker's right as he or she faces the audience. Any other flag displayed should be placed on the left of the clergyman or speaker or to the right of the audience.

(i) The flag of the United States should form a distinctive feature of the ceremony of unveiling a public statue or monument, but the flag should not be used as the covering for the public statue or monument.

(j) The flag of the United States, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should be raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day.

History: 1998, Act 460, Imd. Eff. Jan. 4, 1999