Extracted text

OCR Page 1 of 9
86TH CONGRESS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REPORT 1st Session No. 38 DESIGN OF UNITED STATES FLAG FEBRUARY 18, 1959.-Referred - to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed Mr. WILLIS, from the Committee on the Judiciary, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H.R. 75] The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill (H.R. 75) providing for the design of the flag of the United States, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amend- ment and recommend that the bill do pass. PURPOSE The purpose of this bill is to clarify the law and procedure relating to the design and dimensions of the U.S. flag. This bill is identical to H.R. 13552 (85th Cong.) and similar to H.R. 13522 (85th Cong.), sponsored by the then Delegate and now Senator from Alaska, Mr. Bartlett. It has three underlying purposes: (1) To eliminate a possible am- biguity in the present law, which expressly provides that there "shall be 48 stars" in the union of the flag; (2) give statutory recognition to the recent action of President Eisenhower in Executive Order 10798, January 3, 1959, proclaiming the design of the new flag reflecting the admission of Alaska, and (3) its provisions are so drawn that it will require no change if and when new States are admitted into the Union. HISTORY OF LEGISLATION This legislation passed the House on the Consent Calendar in the 2d session of the 85th Congress. It was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, but it was then late in the session and that committee took no action in the matter. 36766-59