Congress creates Green Star flag to honor families of veterans lost to suicide
H.R. 6022 — Sgt. Walter F. Hartnett IV Green Star Veterans Service Act · Filed by Robert Bresnahan (R-PA) · 10 cosponsors · Introduced Nov 12, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to design and designate a 'Green Star Service Flag' that next of kin of veterans who died by suicide (on or after September 11, 2001) may display in their homes or elsewhere. The bill allows anyone to manufacture and sell the flag under license from the VA, with a $1,000 civil penalty for unlicensed manufacturing or violations.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative purpose is to establish a commemorative flag for families of veterans who died by suicide. It is a memorial and recognition measure, not a regulatory, appropriations, or policy-change bill in the traditional sense.
What the text implies
- The bill does not appropriate funds for flag design or VA administrative costs; implementation depends on VA budget authority and discretionary spending.
- The licensing regime may create a small market for flag manufacturers, but no exclusive contracts or subsidies are granted.
- The definition of 'next of kin' is delegated to VA regulation, allowing the Secretary to expand eligibility beyond the statutory family-member baseline.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
The bill creates a voluntary, dignified symbol of recognition for families grieving veterans lost to suicide—a public acknowledgment of a significant cause of veteran mortality. There are no restrictions on citizens' rights, no costs imposed on the public, and the licensing mechanism is a standard regulatory safeguard to protect the integrity of the flag design.
Named in the bill
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs, Title 36 United States Code, Title 38 United States Code (section 1720K), Flag manufacturers (licensed)
Where it stands
10 cosponsors: 6 Republicans, 4 Democrats.
- Nov 12, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Nov 12, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (1,554 characters) on Oct 21, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,388 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-21.
“Congress creates Green Star flag to honor families of veterans lost to suicide” QuorumCivic. https://share.quorumcivic.app/bill/119/hr6022 Report an error
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