North Carolina 2025 Session Status: In Committee 10 R cosponsors

SB 123 — Flags at Every School.

Last action — Passed 1st Reading

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced February 21, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Stalled 26% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 10 sponsors

    2 primary, 8 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (10 R).

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

13 added · 14 removed

Plain-language change summary

In the latest version of Senate Bill 123, changes were made to clarify requirements around the display of flags in schools and the instruction related to the Pledge of Allegiance. Specifically, the bill now explicitly states that no one can be forced to stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Additionally, it allocates funding for schools to purchase flags. These changes matter because they strengthen individual rights while ensuring schools have the resources needed to support these educational activities.

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FILED SENATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA Feb 21, 2025 S.B.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 S 1 SENATE BILL 123 Short Title:
123 SESSION 2025 PRINCIPAL CLERK S D SENATE BILL DRS15054-NHa-80 Short Title:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO REQUIRE AND FUND THE DISPLAY OF THE UNITED STATES AND NORTH CAROLINA FLAGS ON PUBLIC SCHOOL GROUNDS AND IN EVERY PUBLIC SCHOOL CLASSROOM.
Rules and Operations of the Senate February 24, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO REQUIRE AND FUND THE DISPLAY OF THE UNITED STATES AND NORTH CAROLINA FLAGS ON PUBLIC SCHOOL GROUNDS AND IN EVERY PUBLIC SCHOOL CLASSROOM.
– The board of trustees shall adopt policies to (i) require the display of the United States and North Carolina flags on school grounds near the main entrance to the school and in each classroom when available, classroom, (ii) require that recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance be scheduled on a daily basis, and (iii) provide age-appropriate instruction on the meaning and historical origins of the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance.
– The board of trustees shall adopt policies to (i) require the display of the United States and North Carolina flags on school grounds near the main entrance to the school and in each classroom when available, classroom, (ii) require that recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance be scheduled on a dailybasis, and (iii) provide age-appropriate instruction on the meaning and historical origins of the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance.
A charter school shall not compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the *DRS15054-NHa-80* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 Pledge of Allegiance.
A charter school shall not compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the *S123-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 Pledge of Allegiance.
The school shall (i) display the United States and North Carolina flags on school grounds nearthemain entranceto theschool and in each classroom when available, classroom, (ii)require the schedule recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance on a daily basis, and (iii) provide age-appropriate instruction on the meaning and historical origins of the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance.
The school shall (i) display the United States and North Carolina flags on school grounds nearthemain entranceto the school and in each classroom whenavailable, classroom, (ii)require the schedule recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance on a daily basis, and (iii) provide age-appropriate instruction on the meaning and historical origins of the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance.
These policies shall not compel any personto stand, salutethe flag,or recitethePledge ofAllegiance.
These policies shall not compel anypersonto stand, salutethe flag,or recitethePledge ofAllegiance.
A laboratory school shall not compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance." SECTION 2.(a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and the sum of one hundredthousand dollars ($100,000) in recurring funds forthe2026-2027fiscalyearfortheDepartmenttoallocatetopublicschoolunitsforthepurchase of United States and North Carolina flags to be displayed as required by this act.
A laboratory school shall not compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance." SECTION 2.(a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and the sum of one hundredthousand dollars ($100,000) in recurringfunds forthe2026-2027fiscal yearfortheDepartmenttoallocatetopublicschoolunitsforthepurchase of United States and North Carolina flags to be displayed as required by this act.
Page 2 DRS15054-NHa-80
Page 2 Senate Bill 123-First Edition
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How this bill changes current law

4 changes Share ↗

Compared against the N.C. General Statutes as published AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill mandates the display of the United States and North Carolina flags in public schools and requires the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance daily.

  • G.S. 115C-47(29a)

    (29a) To Require the Display of the United States and North Carolina Flags, and to Require the Recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. – Local boards of education shall adopt policies to (i) require the display of the United States and North Carolina flags on school grounds near the main entrance to each school and in each classroom, when available, (ii) require that recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance be scheduled on a daily basis, and (iii) provide age-appropriate instruction on the meaning and historical origins of the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. These policies shall not compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. If flags are donated or are otherwise available, flags shall be displayed in each classroom.

    This adds a new duty for local boards of education regarding flag display and Pledge recitation.

  • G.S. 115C-150.12C(23)

    (23) The Display of the United States and North Carolina Flags and the Recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. – The board of trustees shall adopt policies to (i) require the display of the United States and North Carolina flags on school grounds near the main entrance to the school and in each classroom when available, (ii) require that recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance be scheduled on a daily basis, and (iii) provide age-appropriate instruction on the meaning and historical origins of the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. These policies shall not compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. If flags are donated or are otherwise available, flags shall be displayed in each classroom.

    This introduces a new requirement for boards of trustees to adopt policies for flag display and Pledge recitation.

  • G.S. 115C-218.80

    A charter school shall (i) display the United States and North Carolina flags on school grounds near the main entrance to the school and in each classroom when available, (ii) require the schedule recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance on a daily basis, and (iii) provide age-appropriate instruction on the meaning and historical origins of the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. A charter school shall not compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. If flags are donated or are otherwise available, flags shall be displayed in each classroom.

    This adds specific obligations for charter schools regarding flag display and Pledge recitation.

  • G.S. 115C-238.66

    (23) Display of the United States and North Carolina flags and the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. – A regional school shall (i) display the United States and North Carolina flags on school grounds near the main entrance to the school and in each classroom, (ii) schedule recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance on a daily basis, and (iii) provide age-appropriate instruction on the meaning and historical origins of the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. A regional school shall not compel any person to stand, salute the flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

    This creates a new requirement for regional schools regarding flag display and Pledge recitation.

Action History

  1. Passed 1st Reading

  2. Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate

  3. Filed

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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2 sponsors · 8 co-sponsors · 169 not signed on

Sponsors (2)

Co-sponsors (8)

Not signed on (169)

169 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

education
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 123?
SB 123 is sponsored by Norman W. Sanderson (Republican), Timothy D. Moffitt (Republican), Ralph Hise (Republican), Bobby Hanig (Republican), Jim Burgin (Republican), Bob Brinson (Republican), Carl Ford (Republican), W. Ted Alexander (Republican), Eddie D. Settle (Republican), and Todd Johnson (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 123?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced February 21, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB 123?
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