BDR 34-440 – In Honor of Native American Heritage Month
To celebrate Native American Heritage Month, we are sharing all the favorable outcomes of the 82nd Legislative Session. As all our relatives become more engaged in civic matters, please know that the Assembly Bill which “Provides a right of public-school pupils to wear certain adornments at school graduation ceremonies” is now a law:
(BDR 34-440) Under existing law, each pupil of a public school is entitled to express himself or herself in a manner consistent with the rights guaranteed by the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. Any such expression by pupils must not be disruptive to instruction or used to engage in discrimination based on race or bullying and must not be endorsed by a public school. (NRS 388-0777) This bill establishes that the pupils of public schools are entitled to wear traditional Tribal regalia or recognized objects of religious or cultural significance as an adornment at school graduation ceremonies. The bill provides that the board of trustees of a school district, the governing body of a charter school or the governing body of a university school for profoundly gifted pupils may nonetheless prohibit an item that is likely to cause a substantial disruption of, or material interference with, such a ceremony. The bill authorizes a pupil who is prohibited from wearing such an item to appeal that decision to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, who must consult with certain groups before rendering a decision on such an appeal. This bill further provides that, if the Superintendent of Public Instruction does not render a decision within 5 business days after an appeal is submitted, the appeal is deemed to be decided in favor of the pupil. For more information, click here.
The NEVADA INDIAN COMMISSION (NIC) is a State agency created by statute in 1965 to “study matters affecting the social and economic welfare and well-being of American Indians residing in Nevada, including but not limited to matters and problems relating to Indian affairs and to federal and state control, responsibility, policy, and operations affecting such Indians.” Beginning July 1, 2023, our agency will be known as the Department of Native American Affairs (DNA).