H.F. No. 2856 Summary

• Requires school districts to devote at least one hour of school programming to observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day, with optional professional development or instruction on treaty history, federal boarding schools, Indigenous languages, traditional medicines, Tribal sovereignty, Indigenous contributions to American culture, and current Indigenous community issues.

• Establishes Indigenous Peoples' Day as a Minnesota state holiday on the second Monday in October, replacing Christopher Columbus Day.

• Eliminates Christopher Columbus Day as a state holiday for the executive branch of state government, while allowing other state branches and political subdivisions to make their own determination regarding whether to observe Columbus Day.

• Amends Minnesota Statutes section 120A.42 to add Indigenous Peoples' Day to the list of holidays on which school districts may conduct classes with proper teacher contract provisions.

• Updates Minnesota Statutes section 645.44 to define Indigenous Peoples' Day as the second Monday in October as the official state holiday, removing the prior Christopher Columbus Day designation.