A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT ALLOWING FOR THE RECOGNITION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' DAY; and AMENDING SECTIONS 1-1-216 AND 20-1-306, MCA."
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
Section 1. Section 1-1-216, MCA, is amended to read:
"1-1-216. Legal holidays and business days. (1) The following are legal holidays in the state of Montana:
(b) New Year's Day, January 1;
(c) Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the third Monday in January;
(d) Lincoln's and Washington's Birthdays, the third Monday in February;
(e) Memorial Day, the last Monday in May;
(g) Labor Day, the first Monday in September;
(h) Columbus Day, the second Monday in October, which may be recognized as Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples' Day;
(i) Veterans' Day, November 11;
(j) Thanksgiving Day, the fourth Thursday in November;
(k) Christmas Day, December 25;
(l) State general election day.
(2) (a) If any of the holidays in subsection subsections (1)(b) through (1)(l) fall on a Sunday, the Monday following is a holiday.
(b) If any of the holidays in subsection subsections (1)(b) through (1)(l) fall on a Saturday, the Friday preceding is a holiday.
(c) All other days are business days."
Section 2. Section 20-1-306, MCA, is amended to read:
"20-1-306. Commemorative exercises on certain days. (1) All districts shall conduct appropriate exercises during the school day on the following commemorative days:
(a) Lincoln's Birthday (February 12);
(b) Washington's Birthday (February 22);
(c) Arbor Day (last Friday in April);
(e) Citizenship Day (September 17);
(f) American Indian Heritage Day (fourth Friday in September);
(g) Columbus Day (October 12), which may be recognized as Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples' Day;
(i) other days designated by the legislature or governor as legal holidays.
(2) When these commemorative days fall on Saturday or Sunday, exercises may be conducted the preceding Friday."
NEW SECTION. Section 3. Notification to Montana supreme court. The secretary of state shall send a copy of [this act] to the Montana supreme court. The Montana supreme court is requested to update the definition of "legal holiday" in its rules of civil procedure to reflect the provisions of [section 1].
NEW SECTION. Section 4. Notification to tribal governments. The secretary of state shall send a copy of [this act] to each federally recognized tribal government in Montana.