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H. B. No. 1080 *HR26/R2246* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
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To: Rules
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Representative Faulkner
HOUSE BILL NO. 1080
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 3-3-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
DECLARE SEPTEMBER 27TH AS HIRAM REVELS DAY; AND FOR RELATED 2
PURPOSES. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 4
SECTION 1. Section 3-3-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 5
amended as follows: 6
3-3-7. (1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2) 7
of this section, the following are declared to be legal holidays, 8
viz: the first day of January (New Year's Day); the third Monday 9
of January (Robert E. Lee's birthday and Dr. Martin Luther King, 10
Jr.'s birthday); the third Monday of February (Washington's 11
birthday); the last Monday of April (Confederate Memorial Day); 12
the last Monday of May (National Memorial Day and Jefferson Davis' 13
birthday); the fourth day of July (Independence Day); the first 14
Monday of September (Labor Day); the eleventh day of November 15
(Armistice or Veterans' Day); the day fixed by proclamation by the 16
Governor of Mississippi as a day of Thanksgiving, which shall be 17
fixed to correspond to the date proclaimed by the President of the 18
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United States (Thanksgiving Day); and the twenty-fifth day of 19
December (Christmas Day). In the event any holiday hereinbefore 20
declared legal shall fall on Sunday, then the next following day 21
shall be a legal holiday. 22
(2) In lieu of any one (1) legal holiday provided for in 23
subsection (1) of this section, with the exception of the third 24
Monday in January (Robert E. Lee's and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 25
birthday) and the eleventh day of November (Armistice or Veterans' 26
Day), the governing authorities of any municipality or county may 27
declare, by order spread upon its minutes, Mardi Gras Day or any 28
one (1) other day during the year, to be a legal holiday. 29
(3) August 16 is declared to be Elvis Aaron Presley Day in 30
recognition and appreciation of Elvis Aaron Presley's many 31
contributions, international recognition and the rich legacy left 32
to us by Elvis Aaron Presley. This day shall be a day of 33
recognition and observation and shall not be recognized as a legal 34
holiday. 35
(4) May 8 is declared to be Hernando de Soto Day in 36
recognition, observation and commemoration of Hernando de Soto, 37
who led the first and most imposing expedition ever made by 38
Europeans into the wilds of North America and the State of 39
Mississippi, and in further recognition of the Spanish explorer's 40
187-day journey from the Tombigbee River basin on our state's 41
eastern boundary, westward to the place of discovery of the 42
Mississippi River on May 8, 1541. This day shall be a day of 43
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commemoration, recognition and observation of Hernando de Soto and 44
European exploration and shall not be recognized as a legal 45
holiday. 46
(5) Armistice Day (Veterans' Day) shall be observed by 47
appropriate exercises in all the public schools in the State of 48
Mississippi. The superintendent of schools of each public school 49
district is authorized to provide for the appearance of uniformed 50
military personnel, uniformed veterans or the families of fallen 51
military personnel/veterans at such public school exercises in 52
honor of Armistice (Veterans') Day. The superintendent of schools 53
is also authorized to permit the school band and its director(s) 54
at any public school in the district to perform at Armistice 55
(Veterans') Day exercises in the school district upon the request 56
of public officials or veterans associations without loss of any 57
program credit by participating students and without loss of leave 58
by participating school personnel. 59
(6) The month of March is declared to be "Mississippi 60
Musicians Month" to recognize and celebrate the state's rich 61
musical heritage and to encourage the world to join Mississippi in 62
honoring our musicians and their contributions. 63
(7) In recognition of the service, courage and sacrifice of 64
the valiant service members of the Tuskegee Airmen who served 65
during World War II, the fourth Thursday of March is designated as 66
Tuskegee Airmen Day in Mississippi. This should be a day of 67
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ST: Hiram Revels; declare September 27th in
recognition, observation and commemoration.
recognition and observation and shall not be recognized as a legal 68
holiday. 69
(8) September 27th is declared to be Hiram Revels Day in 70
recognition, observation and commemoration of Hiram Revels, who 71
was elected by the Mississippi Legislature to the United States 72
Senate to represent Mississippi in 1870 and 1871 during the 73
Reconstruction era. He was the first African American to serve in 74
either house of the United States Congress. This should be a day 75
of recognition and observation and shall not be recognized as a 76
legal holiday. 77
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 78
and after July 1, 2026. 79