POW/MIA Flag Required in Montana
Amazing how a law can fly under our radar.
Many thanks to a caller about a 2015 law that requires the black and white POW/MIA flag be flown with the American and State flags in government. I immediately had to look this up. The Montana Code in full follows.
But it does beg the question: what other laws are out there?
1-1-541. Display of POW/MIA flag. (1) The POW/MIA flag must be displayed on or in front of the locations specified in subsection (2) on any day when the flag of the United States of America is displayed. The display of the POW/MIA flag is to symbolize Montana's concern and commitment to achieving the fullest possible accounting of United States military personnel who, having been prisoners of war or missing in action, still remain unaccounted for or who in the future may become prisoners of war, missing in action, or otherwise unaccounted for as a result of hostile action.
(2) The POW/MIA flag must be displayed pursuant to subsection (1) at the following locations:
(a) the state capitol;
(b) any building that serves as the location of a state district court;
(c) any building that serves as the location of a city or town hall for an incorporated city or town; and
(d) any building that serves as the main administrative building of a county.
(3) The POW/MIA flag may be no larger than the national flag and must be displayed as follows:
(a) if the national and the POW/MIA flags are flown on the same flagpole, the POW/MIA flag must be directly below the national flag;
(b) if the national and state flags are flown on the same flagpole, the POW/MIA flag must be directly below the national flag;
(c) if the national and state flags are flown on two different flagpoles, the POW/MIA flag must be on the pole with and directly below the national flag;
(d) if the national and POW/MIA flags are flown on separate flagpoles, the POW/MIA flag must occupy the pole to the left of the national flag;
(e) if the national, state, and POW/MIA flags are to be flown on three separate flagpoles, the national flag must occupy the right pole, the POW/MIA flag must occupy the middle pole, and the state flag must occupy the far left pole.
(4) As used in this section, "POW/MIA flag" means the flag designated in 36 U.S.C. 902 as the symbol of concern about United States military personnel taken as prisoners of war or listed as missing in action.
POSTSCRIPT: If you have made it through to here, dear Reader, then I have another couple questions about this law:
With more than one flagpole and particular flags on the left or right, is that left or right from the view facing the building or facing away from the building?
With this law as a precedent, could other states enact laws for particular flags to be flown with the national and their state flags? If California or New York passed a code that the Rainbow flag be flown under the U.S. flag, would you concur in the name of consistency?