MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2024 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Representative Crawford
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 3-3-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO DECLARE THE SECOND MONDAY OF EACH OCTOBER AS A DAY OF OBSERVANCE IN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI TO BE PROCLAIMED "INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' DAY"; 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 * * *: 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). In the event any holiday * * * declared legal in this subsection
shall fall on Sunday, then the next following day 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) and the eleventh day of November (Armistice or Veterans' Day), 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 Aaron Presley Day in recognition and appreciation of Elvis Aaron Presley's many contributions, international recognition and the rich legacy left to us by Elvis Aaron 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) Armistice Day (Veterans' Day) shall be observed by appropriate exercises in all the public schools in the State of Mississippi. The superintendent of schools of each public school district is authorized to provide for the appearance of uniformed military personnel, uniformed veterans or the families of fallen military personnel/veterans at such public school exercises in honor of Armistice (Veterans') Day. The superintendent of schools is also authorized to permit the school band and its director(s) at any public school in the district to perform at Armistice (Veterans') Day exercises in the school district upon the request of public officials or veterans associations without loss of any program credit by participating students and without loss of leave by participating school personnel.
(6) The second Monday in October is declared to be Native American or Indigenous Peoples' Day in recognition, observation and commemoration of Native American Indian heritage and the traditional ways of the culture in an effort to bring more awareness to the unique, rich history of this nation that is inextricably tied to the first people of this country and predates the voyage of Christopher Columbus. The designation of this observation further recognizes American Indians and Alaskan Natives as thriving, contemporary sovereign nations who have greatly contributed to the Constitution and foundation of the United States by contributing to the social and cultural enrichment of the quality of the American way of life, and who hold a rightful place among the American family of governments. This day shall be a day of commemoration, recognition and observation of Native Americans and Indigenous People, who are the first inhabitants of this country, and shall not be recognized as a legal holiday.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024.