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H. B. No. 351 *HR26/R849* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
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To: Rules
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Representatives Creekmore IV, Scott
HOUSE BILL NO. 351
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 3-3-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
DECLARE JUNE 3 AS BOBBIE GENTRY DAY IN MISSISSIPPI; AND FOR 2
RELATED 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 birthday and Martin Luther 25
King, Jr.'s birthday) and the eleventh day of November (Armistice 26
or Veterans' Day), the governing authorities of any municipality 27
or county may declare, by order spread upon its minutes, Mardi 28
Gras Day or any one (1) other day during the year, to be a legal 29
holiday. 30
(3) August 16 is declared to be Elvis Aaron Presley Day in 31
recognition and appreciation of Elvis Aaron Presley's many 32
contributions, international recognition and the rich legacy left 33
to us by Elvis Aaron Presley. This day shall be a day of 34
recognition and observation and shall not be recognized as a legal 35
holiday. 36
(4) May 8 is declared to be Hernando de Soto Day in 37
recognition, observation and commemoration of Hernando de Soto, 38
who led the first and most imposing expedition ever made by 39
Europeans into the wilds of North America and the State of 40
Mississippi, and in further recognition of the Spanish explorer's 41
187-day journey from the Tombigbee River basin on our state's 42
eastern boundary, westward to the place of discovery of the 43
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Mississippi River on May 8, 1541. This day shall be a day of 44
commemoration, recognition and observation of Hernando de Soto and 45
European exploration and shall not be recognized as a legal 46
holiday. 47
(5) Armistice Day (Veterans' Day) shall be observed by 48
appropriate exercises in all the public schools in the State of 49
Mississippi. The superintendent of schools of each public school 50
district is authorized to provide for the appearance of uniformed 51
military personnel, uniformed veterans or the families of fallen 52
military personnel/veterans at such public school exercises in 53
honor of Armistice (Veterans') Day. The superintendent of schools 54
is also authorized to permit the school band and its director(s) 55
at any public school in the district to perform at Armistice 56
(Veterans') Day exercises in the school district upon the request 57
of public officials or veterans associations without loss of any 58
program credit by participating students and without loss of leave 59
by participating school personnel. 60
(6) The month of March is declared to be "Mississippi 61
Musicians Month" to recognize and celebrate the state's rich 62
musical heritage and to encourage the world to join Mississippi in 63
honoring our musicians and their contributions. 64
(7) In recognition of the service, courage and sacrifice of 65
the valiant service members of the Tuskegee Airmen who served 66
during World War II, the fourth Thursday of March is designated as 67
Tuskegee Airmen Day in Mississippi. This should be a day of 68
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ST: Bobbie Gentry Day; declare June 3 as.
recognition and observation and shall not be recognized as a legal 69
holiday. 70
(8) June 3 is declared to be Bobbie Gentry Day in 71
recognition, observation and commemoration of Bobbie Gentry (born 72
Roberta Lee Streeter), of Woodland, Mississippi, an American 73
singer-songwriter who was one of the first female artists in 74
America to compose and produce her own material. Bobbie Gentry 75
rose to international fame in 1967, with her Southern Gothic 76
narrative "Ode to Billie Joe". The track spent four weeks at No. 77
1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and was third in the Billboard 78
year-end chart of 1967, earning Bobbie Gentry Grammy awards for 79
Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1968. 80
This day shall be a day of commemoration, recognition and 81
observation of Bobbie Gentry and shall not be recognized as a 82
legal holiday. 83
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 84
and after its passage. 85