HB165 Alabama 2025 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Rick RehmRepresentative

Republican

Session

2025 Regular Session

Title

State holidays; Juneteenth added as state holiday

Summary

HB165 adds Juneteenth as an official state holiday in Alabama and lets agencies allow employees to observe Juneteenth or Jefferson Davis' birthday, with updated holiday rules.

What This Bill Does

Designates Juneteenth (June 19) as a state holiday and aligns its observance with existing holiday rules (closure of state offices when holidays occur, with weekend observations). Allows each state agency to provide employees the option to observe either Juneteenth or Jefferson Davis' birthday, per agency policy. Introduces a personal leave day for most state employees (Jan 1 each year), requires scheduling and provides pay if not used, with Baldwin and Mobile counties excluded from this personal leave day; adds Rosa Parks Day on December 1 (observation may be adopted by counties/municipalities); extends Mardi Gras holiday designation to Mobile and Baldwin counties; and includes various provisions about bank closures, holiday compensation for employees who work on holidays, and emergency openings.

Who It Affects

• State employees statewide: receive Juneteenth as a state holiday and may observe either Juneteenth or Jefferson Davis' birthday depending on their agency policy; most employees get one personal leave day per year (Jan 1) with scheduling rules; employees working on holidays get compensatory leave or pay.
• Baldwin and Mobile counties state employees: do not receive the annual personal leave day.
• State offices, public K-12 schools, and public higher education: closures on official holidays as defined, subject to exceptions for emergencies or authorized open days.
• Banks: may be closed on holidays or special days as authorized by the Superintendent of Banks; some special closings (e.g., prior to Christmas/New Year’s) are permitted if holidays fall on business days.
• Mobile and Baldwin counties residents: Mardi Gras is treated as a state holiday in those counties, with state offices closed.
• Counties and municipalities: may elect to observe Rosa Parks Day, and districts may adopt related observance practices.
• General public: impacted by holiday closings and observance days, including school closures and bank closures.

Key Provisions

• Adds Juneteenth (June 19) as an official state holiday in Section 1-3-8, alongside existing holidays.
• If a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is observed; if on Saturday, the preceding Friday is observed.
• All state holidays trigger closure of state offices; Veterans' Day closures extend to state, county, and municipal offices, banks, and K-12/public higher education as specified.
• State employees working on a holiday receive compensatory leave or pay; compensatory leave must be scheduled, with pay if not used.
• Grants one personal leave day per year to all state employees (except those in Baldwin and Mobile counties), to be used by year-end and scheduled with a supervisor; failure to schedule requires justification in writing.
• Designates December 1 as Mrs. Rosa L. Parks Day; state residents are encouraged to observe it, and counties/municipalities may choose to observe it as a holiday.
• Mardi Gras is declared a holiday in Mobile and Baldwin counties, requiring state offices in those counties to close on that day.
• The Superintendent of Banks, with at least two Banking Board members’ concurrence, may authorize bank closures on holidays (including National Memorial Day and other holidays) and may allow earlier close (12:00 noon) on the day before Christmas or New Year’s if holidays fall on business days.
• An emergency provision allows state offices to open on holidays if approved, and some offices may stay open to provide essential services.
• The act becomes effective June 1, 2025, and includes non-substantive technical revisions to update language.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

State Government