Saturday is Flag Day, and the Federal-Postal Coalition has seized upon the annual observance to urge the Office of Personnel Management to issue final regulations for providing flags to the survivors of civil servants who lost their lives on the job.

Congress unanimously passed legislation in 2011 that authorized agencies to present U.S. flags to the beneficiaries of civilian federal workers killed in the line of duty. More than two years later, OPM still has not finalized regulations to go along with the law.

OPM spokeswoman Brittney Manchester noted that the agency has issued guidance on the matter, adding that agencies do not have to wait for clearance of the final regulations to present flags to appropriate beneficiaries.  

Nonetheless, the Federal-Postal Coalition, which represents employees and retirees of the federal government and U.S. Postal Service, said the agency needs to finish the rule-making process.

One group’s Flag Day wish: Flags for feds who died in the line of duty

Bruce Moyer, Chair of the Federal Postal-Coalition, released the following statement in advance of Flag Day (6/14) urging the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to release final regulations that would permit federal agencies to issue American flags to civil servants that lost their lives on the job.