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S 2500

Requires every school bus to be equipped with a stop-arm on each side

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Andrew Gounardes

The bill designates the Honor and Remember flag as an official symbol to honor fallen service members and their families and provides display guidance.

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Bill Summary · S 2500

Summary — S.2500 (Massachusetts, 194th General Court, 2025–2026)

Title: An Act relative to recognition of the "Honor and Remember" flag in the Commonwealth

NOTE: The materials you provided include inconsistent metadata (references to a different “school bus stop-arm” title and to other states/federal sponsors). This summary covers the text and docketed bill filed as Senate Docket No. 793 (filed 1/14/2025) presented by Senator John C. Velis, which designates the “Honor and Remember” flag in Massachusetts.

Main purpose

To designate the “Honor and Remember” flag (created by Honor and Remember, Inc.) as an official symbol expressing the Commonwealth’s commitment to honoring and remembering U.S. service members who lost their lives while serving — or as a result of service — and their families, and to set basic guidance for its display.

Key provisions

  • Adds Section 64 to Chapter 2 of the Massachusetts General Laws.
  • Official designation: The Honor and Remember Flag is recognized as a symbol of the Commonwealth’s concern and commitment to honoring fallen service members and their families.
  • Symbolism described in statute:
    • Red field — blood shed by those who sacrificed their lives
    • White field and border — purity of that sacrifice
    • Blue star — active service in conflicts (dating to WWI)
    • Gold star — ultimate sacrifice for those who will not return
    • Folded flag — nation’s final tribute and family sacrifice
    • Flame — eternal spirit of the departed
    • The statute references an estimate of 1.6 million fallen service members in U.S. history as the population honored.
  • Display rules:
    • When flown on the same pole or pole formation with other flags, the Honor and Remember flag must be flown beneath the American flag, the Commonwealth flag, or the POW/MIA flag.
    • The Honor and Remember flag must never be larger than the American flag flown on the same pole/formation.
    • The flag should be kept in good condition (no rips, stains, or significant fading).
  • Prescribed days for display (recommended):
    1. Armed Forces Day (third Saturday in May)
    2. Memorial Day (last Monday in May)
    3. Flag Day (June 14)
    4. Independence Day (July 4)
    5. National POW/MIA Recognition Day
    6. Veterans Day (Nov. 11)
    7. Gold Star Mother’s Day (last Sunday of September)
    8. Whenever there is a military casualty in the Commonwealth
  • Voluntary provision: The act explicitly states it is not a mandate to purchase or display the flag by any individual, organization, municipality, or agency.

Who is affected

  • State and local governmental entities, veteran organizations, and private citizens who choose to display the flag. Because the act is declaratory and includes a non-mandatory clause, no agency is required to buy or fly the flag.
  • No regulatory enforcement mechanism or appropriations are provided in the text.

Legislative/administrative status and timeline (from docket)

  • Filed as Senate Docket No. 793 (filed 1/14/2025).
  • Presented by Senator John C. Velis (with petitioners Hannah Kane and Bradley H. Jones, Jr.).
  • Docketed for the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court (2025–2026).
  • Referred to the Senate committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs (per docket entries).

Practical impact

  • Primarily symbolic — provides official recognition and uniform guidance for respectful display of the Honor and Remember flag.
  • Minimal fiscal impact because there is no purchase mandate or appropriation.
  • Could prompt state agencies, municipalities, and veterans’ groups to adopt routine display practices on the listed days and after in-state military casualties.
  • Because the statute includes display placement and condition guidance, it may reduce confusion about flag protocol relative to other flags.

If you intended to summarize a different S.2500 (for example, the “school-bus stop-arm” bill or a federal bill with different sponsors), please confirm which bill or provide the correct text/docket and I will produce a tailored summary.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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