PRINTER'S NO. 2485
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1951
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY BANTA, JOZWIAK AND MARSHALL, JANUARY 9, 2024
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, JANUARY 9, 2024
AN ACT
Designating June 2 of each year as Pennsylvania Indigenous
Peoples' Day in this Commonwealth.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Pennsylvania
Indigenous Peoples' Day Act.
Section 2. Legislative findings.
The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) The indigenous peoples of this Commonwealth, the
first Americans, have woven rich and diverse threads into the
tapestry of the heritage and history of this Commonwealth.
(2) American Indians have inhabited the land which is
now known as Pennsylvania dating back some 5,000 years.
(3) Former State Librarian and Secretary of the
Pennsylvania Historical Commission, Dr. George Patterson
Donehoo, in his book "A History of the Indian Villages and
Place Names in Pennsylvania" stated, "No state in the entire
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Nation is richer in Indian names, or in fact, in Indian
history than Pennsylvania."
(4) American Indian culture and society have contributed
to the agricultural development, medicinal discoveries,
environmental preservation, commerce, governmental
institutions and structure and many other facets of our
Commonwealth.
(5) American Indian culture and American Indians,
indigenous peoples, are to be respected and honored.
(6) The Commonwealth acknowledges the importance of
educating the residents of this Commonwealth about the
heritage, history, art, archeology and traditions of the
American Indian peoples and communities in this Commonwealth.
(7) American Indians continue to contribute to the
culture of this Commonwealth through the ancestral
preservation of their heritage.
(8) Their dedicated efforts to honor their proud
heritage assist in developing a deeper understanding within
this Commonwealth of the vibrant and ancient customs of the
indigenous peoples living in this Commonwealth today.
Section 3. Designation.
June 2 shall be designated as Pennsylvania Indigenous
Peoples' Day in this Commonwealth.
Section 4. Construction.
Nothing in this act shall be construed as requiring an
employer to treat June 2 as a legal or official holiday or to
provide paid leave to an employee on June 2 solely by virtue of
the date being designated under this act.
Section 5. Effective date.
This act shall take effect immediately.
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