MS HB1008

Designates June 19th (Juneteenth) as a legal holiday in Mississippi by adding it to the list of state holidays in Section 3-3-7 of the Mississippi Code.

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger declared enslaved individuals in Texas free, nearly two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia have already declared Juneteenth a public holiday; the federal government established it as a federal holiday in June 2021 with support from Mississippi's congressional delegation.

If Juneteenth falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the next Monday or another day fixed by the Governor's proclamation shall be observed as the legal holiday.

Takes effect upon passage.