New Requirements for Flags Used to Mark the Graves of Veterans

Upon the petition of a recognized veterans' organization or five eligible voters, Michigan law (1915 PA 63) has long required a city, village, township, or county to provide a United States flag and a flag holder to honor and mark the graves of veterans who served in the United States Armed Forces and who are buried in a public or private cemetery located within that municipality.

Public Act 19, which was signed by the Governor on February 25, 2014, and which takes effect on May 26, 2014, imposes additional requirements on this responsibility:

• Cities, villages, townships and counties are prohibited from buying flags or flag holders assembled or manufactured outside of the United States if flags and flag holders that are competitively priced and of comparable quality that are made in Michigan or elsewhere in the United States are available.
• If competitively priced and comparable quality products made in the United States are not available, municipalities are required to post on their website that they bought foreign-made flags and/or holders. The municipality must also post the country of origin of the products (if a municipality does not maintain a website, it would have to post the information at its principal office and other appropriate locations).

If you have any questions regarding any of the above information please contact your Clark Hill municipal attorney.