CS/HB 171

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to firefighters; providing for the
3	creation of an official state Firefighter Memorial
4	Flag; providing for the use of the flag; providing for
5	the Division of State Fire Marshal of the Department
6	of Financial Services to provide for the creation and
7	distribution of the flag; authorizing the department
8	to adopt rules; providing an effective date.
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10	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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12	Section 1.  The Division of State Fire Marshal of the
13	Department of Financial Services shall design, produce, and
14	implement the creation and distribution of an official state
15	Firefighter Memorial Flag to honor firefighters who have died in
16	the line of duty.
17	(1)  The flag may be displayed at memorial or funeral
18	services of firefighters who have died in the line of duty, at
19	firefighter memorials, at fire stations, at the Fallen
20	Firefighter Memorial located at the Florida State Fire College
21	in Ocala, by the families of fallen firefighters, and at any
22	other location designated by the State Fire Marshal.
23	(2)  The flag shall have a blue background, with a black
24	horizontal stripe across the middle of the flag and a horizontal
25	purple stripe above and below the black stripe. It shall also
26	contain a red Maltese Cross or Cross of St. Florian in the
27	center of the flag surrounding the Great Seal of the State of
28	Florida, and the phrase "Florida Fallen Firefighters" in gold
29	capital letters shall be placed at the top of the flag and the
30	phrase "Memorial Flag" shall be placed at the bottom of the
31	flag. Each arm of the cross shall contain one of the words
32	"Courage," "Honor," "Sacrifice," and "Valor."
33	(3)  The department may adopt rules to designate additional
34	permissible locations for the display of the flag.
35	Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.