Education: students; indigenous individuals to wear traditional regalia and bring traditional objects in a school building; permit. Amends 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1 - 380.1852) by adding sec. 1300.

2023-2024 Regular Session Introduced by Abraham Aiyash and 31 co-sponsors

Public schools must allow Native American students to wear traditional regalia and bring ceremonial objects at ceremonies of honor.

assigned PA 209'24

#education:discipline #education:schooldistricts #education:students

Summary — HB 4854 (Enrolled as PA 209 of 2024)

Status & effective date
- Enacted as Public Act 209 of 2024; approved by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State on January 17, 2025.
- Effective date: April 2, 2025.
- Amends the Revised School Code (1976 PA 451) by adding section 1300.

Purpose
- To protect and expressly authorize Native American students to wear traditional regalia and bring traditional cultural, religious, or ceremonial objects to school “ceremonies of honor” (for example, graduation, commencement, convocation, honor society events), by requiring local school governing boards to permit those practices.

Key provisions
- New requirement for boards of:
- school districts,
- intermediate school districts (ISDs), and
- public school academies (PSAs)
to ensure that a “Native American individual is permitted to wear traditional regalia and to bring traditional objects to ceremonies of honor.”
- Definitions (in the statute):
- “Ceremonies of honor”: formal and informal public occasions celebrating student achievement (explicit examples include graduation, commencement, convocation, honor society events).
- “Traditional objects”: cultural, religious, or ceremonial items holding tribal or ancestral meaning for a Native American. Excludes items prohibited under section 1313 of the Revised School Code or section 473 of the Michigan Penal Code (MCL 750.473).
- “Traditional regalia”: cultural, religious, or ceremonial clothing or wearable items representing a Native American’s tribal or ancestral traditions. Also excludes items prohibited under the cited penal/statutory provisions.
- The law is phrased as a duty on local school boards to ensure permission; it does not itself specify penalties or enforcement mechanisms beyond that directive.

Who is affected
- Primary: Native American students attending public K–12 schools or public school academies in Michigan and participating in ceremonies of honor.
- Implementation: boards of school districts, ISDs, and PSAs (policy updates, staff training, and communications may be needed).
- Does not amend or directly regulate private schools (statutory text targets public school entities listed above).

Fiscal impact
- House fiscal analysis reported minimal fiscal effect. Local districts/ISDs/PSAs may incur small administrative costs to update policies, websites, documents, or trainings; these are expected to be absorbed with existing resources.

Context/related measures
- Earlier companion or related proposals (e.g., HB 4853) aimed to add similar protections in the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act and broader school contexts; final enacted language focuses on permission for Native American individuals at ceremonies of honor.