PLEDGE Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5147 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5147

 To establish requirements for patriotic observances in elementary and 
             secondary schools of the District of Columbia.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 28, 2026

  Mrs. Moody introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To establish requirements for patriotic observances in elementary and 
             secondary schools of the District of Columbia.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Promoting Loyalty, Engagement, Duty, 
and Gratitude in Education Act'' or the ``PLEDGE Act''.

SEC. 2. PATRIOTIC OBSERVANCES IN DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SCHOOLS.

    (a) Definition.--In this section, the term ``District of Columbia 
school'' means an elementary school or secondary school in the District 
of Columbia.
    (b) Flag.--Each District of Columbia school shall cause the flag of 
the United States of America to be displayed in each classroom during 
the hours of each school day.
    (c) National Anthem.--When the national anthem is played in a 
District of Columbia school, each student or civilian shall stand at 
attention.
    (d) Pledge of Allegiance.--
            (1) Manner of recitation.--When the Pledge of Allegiance to 
        the Flag (in this subsection referred to as the ``Pledge''), 
        ``I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of 
        America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation 
        under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.'', is 
        recited in a District of Columbia school, each student shall 
        recite the Pledge while standing with the right hand over the 
        heart.
            (2) Daily recitation.--The Pledge shall be recited at the 
        beginning of the day in each District of Columbia school.
            (3) Opt-out with parental consent.--
                    (A) Notice to students.--A District of Columbia 
                school shall inform each student by a written notice 
                published in the student handbook or a similar 
                publication that the student has the right not to 
                participate in reciting the Pledge, subject to the 
                requirements of this subsection.
                    (B) Written request from parent.--Upon written 
                request by the parent of a student, a District of 
                Columbia school shall excuse the student from reciting 
                the Pledge, including from standing and placing the 
                right hand over the heart.
            (4) No disruption or distraction.--No student may make any 
        display that disrupts or distracts other students who are 
        reciting the Pledge in a District of Columbia school.
            (5) Accommodations.--A District of Columbia school shall 
        make a reasonable modification, under title II of the Americans 
        with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12131 et seq.), for 
        any student who is unable to comply because of a disability (as 
        defined in section 3 of that Act (42 U.S.C. 12102)) with the 
        procedures under this subsection.
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