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7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill permits qualifying students to wear tribal regalia during a high school
10 graduation ceremony.
11 Highlighted Provisions:
12 This bill:
13 ▸ provides that:
14 • a student who is enrolled, or is eligible to be enrolled, as a member of a tribe
15 (qualifying student) may wear tribal regalia during a high school graduation
16 ceremony; and
17 • a local education agency may not prohibit a qualifying student from wearing
18 tribal regalia during a high school graduation ceremony; and
19 ▸ defines terms.
20 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
21 None
22 Other Special Clauses:
23 None
24 Utah Code Sections Affected:
25 ENACTS:
26 53G-4-412, Utah Code Annotated 1953
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28 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
29 Section 1. Section 53G-4-412 is enacted to read:
30 53G-4-412. Tribal regalia at high school graduation ceremonies.
31 (1) As used in this section:
32 (a) "Graduation attire" means attire that an LEA requires a student to wear as part of
33 the dress code for a graduation ceremony.
34 (b) "Graduation ceremony" means a high school graduation ceremony.
35 (c) "Qualifying student" means a student who is:
36 (i) enrolled as a member of a tribe; or
37 (ii) eligible to be enrolled as a member of a tribe.
38 (d) (i) "Tribal regalia" means a tribe's:
39 (A) traditional dress; or
40 (B) recognized objects of religious or cultural significance.
41 (ii) "Tribal regalia" includes the following items of cultural significance:
42 (A) tribal symbols;
43 (B) beads; and
44 (C) feathers.
45 (e) "Tribe" means a tribe, band, nation, or Alaskan Native village that:
46 (i) federal law recognizes; or
47 (ii) a state formally acknowledges.
48 (2) (a) A qualifying student may wear tribal regalia during a graduation ceremony.
49 (b) Wearing tribal regalia includes decorating graduation attire with tribal regalia.
50 (3) An LEA may not prohibit a qualifying student from wearing tribal regalia as
51 described in Subsection (2).
52 (4) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit an LEA's authority related to
53 student expression under applicable federal and state law.