Act No. 209
Public Acts of 2024
Approved by the Governor
January 17, 2025
Filed with the Secretary of State
January 17, 2025
EFFECTIVE DATE: April 2, 2025
state of michigan
102nd Legislature
Regular session of 2024
Introduced by Reps. Scott, Rheingans, Byrnes, Arbit, Stone, Wilson, Steckloff, Tsernoglou, Skaggs, Brabec, Pohutsky, Tyrone Carter, Hood, Dievendorf, Edwards, Miller, Morgan, Hill, Coffia, Mentzer, Brixie, Weiss, Breen, Rogers, Haadsma, Glanville, Price, Young, Witwer, MacDonell, Fitzgerald and Aiyash
ENROLLED HOUSE BILL No. 4854
AN ACT to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled “An act to provide a system of public instruction and elementary and secondary schools; to revise, consolidate, and clarify the laws relating to elementary and secondary education; to provide for the organization, regulation, and maintenance of schools, school districts, public school academies, intermediate school districts, and other public school entities; to prescribe rights, powers, duties, and privileges of schools, school districts, public school academies, intermediate school districts, and other public school entities; to provide for the regulation of school teachers and certain other school employees; to provide for school elections and to prescribe powers and duties with respect thereto; to provide for the levy and collection of taxes; to provide for the borrowing of money and issuance of bonds and other evidences of indebtedness; to establish a fund and provide for expenditures from that fund; to make appropriations for certain purposes; to provide for and prescribe the powers and duties of certain state departments, the state board of education, and certain other boards and officials; to provide for licensure of boarding schools; to prescribe penalties; and to repeal acts and parts of acts,” (MCL 380.1 to 380.1852) by adding section 1300.
The People of the State of Michigan enact:
Sec. 1300. (1) The board of a school district or intermediate school district or board of directors of a public school academy shall ensure that a Native American individual is permitted to wear traditional regalia and to bring traditional objects to ceremonies of honor.
(2) As used in this section:
(a) “Ceremonies of honor” means formal and informal public occasions celebrating academic, athletic, and other student achievement, including, but not limited to, graduation, commencement, convocation, and honor society events.
(c) “Traditional regalia” means any cultural, religious, or ceremonial clothing or wearable items representing a Native American’s tribal or ancestral traditions. Traditional regalia does not include clothing or an item that is prohibited under section 1313 or section 473 of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.473.
Clerk of the House of Representatives
Secretary of the Senate
Approved___________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Governor