in effect
This is a presidential proclamation — a formal symbolic declaration with no binding legal effect on private parties. It officially designates May 15, 2026 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and May 10–16, 2026 as Police Week, as authorized by a 1962 joint resolution of Congress (Public Law 87-726) and later codified at 36 U.S.C. 136–137.
The proclamation directs that flags be flown at half-staff on May 15, 2026 — this applies to federal facilities and is a call (not a binding order) to state governors and territorial officials to do the same. No new law, regulation, or appropriation is created by this document. The text references previously enacted measures — an Executive Order ending cashless bail in the federal justice system and the Working Families Tax Cuts Act’s overtime tax exemption — but those actions were taken separately and are not established by this proclamation. The proclamation itself has no effect beyond the flag directive and the official recognition of the named dates.
Federal agencies are directed to fly flags at half-staff on May 15; state and local governments are encouraged but not legally required to follow. Law enforcement officers, their families, and the public are the intended audience for the ceremonial recognition. No private individual or organization acquires new rights or obligations as a result of this proclamation.