MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1999 Regular Session

To: Fees, Salaries and Administration

By: Senator(s) Hall

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 3-3-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT IF A LEGAL HOLIDAY FALLS ON A SATURDAY, THE FRIDAY BEFORE SHALL BE A LEGAL HOLIDAY; TO AMEND SECTION 25-1-97, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 3-3-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

3-3-7. (1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2) of this section, the following are declared to be legal holidays, viz: the first day of January (New Year's Day); the third Monday of January (Robert E. Lee's birthday and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday); the third Monday of February (Washington's birthday); the last Monday of April (Confederate Memorial Day); the last Monday of May (National Memorial Day and Jefferson Davis' birthday); the fourth day of July (Independence Day); the first Monday of September (Labor Day); the eleventh day of November (Armistice or Veterans' Day); the day fixed by proclamation by the Governor of Mississippi as a day of Thanksgiving, which shall be fixed to correspond to the date proclaimed by the President of the United States (Thanksgiving Day); and the twenty-fifth day of December (Christmas Day). If a legal holiday falls on Saturday, the Friday before shall be a legal holiday and if a legal holiday * * * falls on Sunday, * * * the * * * following Monday shall be a legal holiday.

(2) In lieu of any one (1) legal holiday provided for in subsection (1) of this section, with the exception of the third Monday in January (Robert E. Lee's and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, birthday), the governing authorities of any municipality or county may declare, by order spread upon its minutes, Mardi Gras Day or any one (1) other day during the year, to be a legal holiday.

(3) August 16 is declared to be Elvis Aron Presley Day in recognition and appreciation of Elvis Aron Presley's many contributions, international recognition and the rich legacy left to us by Elvis Aron Presley. This day shall be a day of recognition and observation and shall not be recognized as a legal holiday.

(4) May 8 is declared to be Hernando de Soto Day in recognition, observation and commemoration of Hernando de Soto, who led the first and most imposing expedition ever made by Europeans into the wilds of North America and the State of Mississippi, and in further recognition of the Spanish explorer's 187-day journey from the Tombigbee River basin on our state's eastern boundary, westward to the place of discovery of the Mississippi River on May 8, 1541. This day shall be a day of commemoration, recognition and observation of Hernando de Soto and European exploration and shall not be recognized as a legal holiday.

(5) Insofar as possible, Armistice Day shall be observed by appropriate exercises in all the public schools in the State of Mississippi at the eleventh hour in the morning of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the year.

SECTION 2. Section 25-1-97, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

25-1-97. The Department of Finance and Administration is hereby authorized and empowered to fix the hours for the opening and closing of public offices of the state commensurate with the seasons of the year. The business hours of all of the state public offices, departments, boards, commissions and agencies shall be uniform, and the offices shall be open for business eight (8) hours per day Monday through Friday of each week except state holidays * * *. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit any office, department, board, commission or agency to conduct essential business outside of the regular business day hours when the executive head or governing body deems it necessary. * * *

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.