Title 25, Title 25 and Days of Special Observance

It is the policy of this state: (1) To encourage and enable persons with vision impairments to participate fully in the social and economic life of the state and to engage in remunerative employment; (2) To be employed in the state service, the service of the political subdivisio…

Each year the governor shall take suitable public notice of October 15 as “White Cane Safety Day.” The governor shall issue a proclamation in which the governor: (1) Comments upon the significance of the white cane; (2) Calls upon the citizens of the state to observe the provisio…

The eleventh day of October shall be set apart as a day to be known as “General Casimir Pulaski Day.” The day is to be observed by the people of this state with appropriate exercises in public places.

The month of February in each year is designated as “American History Month.”

The twenty-first day of April shall be set apart as a day to be known as “Dauphine Day” in honor of the arrival of the “Dauphine” to Rhode Island in 1524. The day is to be observed by the people of this state with appropriate exercises in public places.

Each year the governor shall take suitable public notice of January 15 as “Martin Luther King, Jr. Day” and shall issue a proclamation at a public memorial ceremony in the State House or at any other suitable location within the state of Rhode Island as the Martin Luther King, Jr…

(a) There is created a permanent commission to be known as the Martin Luther King, Jr. State Holiday Commission to consist of thirteen (13) members, three (3) of whom shall be from the house of representatives, not more than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed …

The second week of March in each year is designated as “Rhode Island School Bus Safety Week.” The week is to be observed by the people of this state with appropriate exercises in public places.

On each and every fourth day of May, except when the day falls on the first day of the week (commonly called Sunday), then on the day following, the governor shall cause salutes of thirteen (13) guns to be fired, at 12 o’clock, noon, by detachments of the state artillery at all p…

The twenty-ninth day of March shall annually be set aside as a day to be known as “Viet Nam Veterans’ Day.” The day is to be observed by the people of this state with appropriate exercises in public places.

That period from July 23 through July 29 in each year is designated as “Rhode Island Puerto Rican Recognition Week.” The week is to be observed by the people of this state with appropriate exercises in public places.

The fourth week of April in each year is designated as “Motorcycle Safety Awareness Week.”

That period from July 2 through July 9 in each year is designated as “Rhode Island Cape Verdian Recognition Week.” The week is to be observed by the people of this state with appropriate exercises in public places.

The first Monday of May shall annually be set aside as a day to be known as “Nurses’ Day.” The day is to be observed by the people of this state with appropriate exercises in public places.

The calendar week containing March eighth, “International Women’s Day,” in each year is designated as “National Women’s History Week.” The governor shall issue an annual proclamation inviting and urging the people of the state to observe the week in schools and other suitable pla…

The first Wednesday of April shall annually be set aside as a day to be known as “Retired Teachers’ Day.” The day is to be observed by the people of this state with appropriate exercises, and the governor may issue an annual proclamation calling upon public schools and citizens o…

The second Friday of May in each year is designated as “Friendship Day.” The day may be observed by the people of this state with appropriate exercises in public places.

The sixteenth day of February shall annually be set aside as a day to be known as “Lithuanian Independence Day.” The day is to be observed by the people of this state with appropriate exercises in public places.

The twenty-fourth day of June shall annually be set aside as a day to be known as “Saint Jean-Baptiste Day” and the governor shall issue an annual proclamation inviting and urging the people of the state to observe this day in suitable places with appropriate ceremonies. Saint Je…

The teachers of the public schools shall annually prepare a program of patriotic exercises for the proper observance of Rhode Island independence in the schools.

The last Friday in April shall annually be set aside as a day to be known as “Arbor Day.” The day is to be observed by the people of this state with appropriate exercises in public places.

The fourth Friday of April shall annually be set aside to be known as “Workers’ Memorial Day” and the governor shall issue an annual proclamation inviting and urging the people of the state to observe this day in suitable places with appropriate ceremonies. Workers’ Memorial Day …

The third Saturday of June in each year shall be set aside as a day to be known as “Destroyer Escort Day” to highlight in the state the role of the destroyer Escort in the naval service. The day may be observed by the people of this state with appropriate exercises in public plac…

The fifteenth day of March shall annually be set aside to be known as “Peter Francisco Day” and the governor shall issue an annual proclamation inviting and urging people of the state to observe this day in suitable places with appropriate ceremonies. Peter Francisco Day shall be…

The second Wednesday of March shall annually be set aside as a day to be known as “Social Workers’ Day.” The day may be observed by the people of the state with appropriate exercises and the governor may issue an annual proclamation calling upon the citizens of the state to obser…

The third Friday of September shall annually be set aside as a day to be known as “POW-MIA’s Day.” The day may be observed by the people of the state with appropriate exercises and the governor may issue an annual proclamation calling upon the citizens of the state to observe the…

The first week of May in each year is designated as “Rhode Island Speech-Language-Hearing Awareness Week.” The week is to be observed by the people of this state with appropriate exercises in public places.

The twenty-fourth day of September shall annually be set apart as a day to be known as “American Indian Heritage Day.” The day is to be observed by the people of this state with appropriate exercises in public places and commemorative of the American Indians.

The second Saturday and the following Sunday of June in each and every year shall be set aside as days to be known as “Gaspee Days” to commemorate the 1772 burning of the British schooner HMS Gaspee. The days are to be observed by the people of this state with appropriate exercis…

The fifth day of January shall annually be set apart as a day to be known as “Dr. George Washington Carver Recognition Day”. The day is to be observed by the people of this state with appropriate exercises in public places and otherwise commemorative of Dr. George Washington Carv…

The last Saturday before the second Sunday in August shall annually be set apart as a day to be known as the “Rhode Island Indian Day of the Narragansett tribe of Indians.” The day is to be observed by the people of this state with appropriate exercises in public places and other…

The twenty-seventh day of July shall annually be set apart as a day to be known as “Korean War Veterans Memorial Day.” The day is to be observed by the people of this state with appropriate exercises in public places.

Each year the governor shall take suitable public notice of the Sunday prior to Memorial Day weekend as “Neighbor Day”. The day is to be observed by the people of this state with appropriate exercises in public places in perpetuity.

The second Thursday in May shall annually be set apart as a day to be known as “Rhode Island Hero’s Day.” The day is to be observed by the general assembly in recognition of a Rhode Island resident who has saved a human life and/or performed an act of heroism which merits any rec…

The third Saturday of April shall annually be set apart as a day to be known as “Combat Veterans’ Day.” The day is to be observed by the people of this state with appropriate exercises in public places.

The thirty-first day of March shall annually be set aside to be known as “Cesar Chavez Day” and the governor shall issue an annual proclamation inviting and urging people of the state to observe this day in suitable places with appropriate ceremonies. “Cesar Chavez Day” shall be …

The month of October shall annually be set apart as a month to be known as “Italian-American Heritage Month.” The month shall be observed by the people of this state with appropriate ceremonies and activities that celebrate the many contributions Italian-Americans have made to ou…

The third Sunday in October in each and every year shall be set aside as a day to be known as “Rhode Island Gold Star Family Day.” This nation and state owe an enormous debt to those grieving parents who have lost children in war. The day is to be observed by the people of this s…

The first Sunday after Mother’s Day annually shall be set apart as a day to be known as “Rhode Island Blue Star Parents Day.” This day may be observed by the people of this state with appropriate exercise in public places that celebrate the many contributions Blue Star Parents ha…

The month of November shall annually be set aside to be known as “Lung Cancer Awareness Month.” The department of health shall hold an annual community forum on Lung Cancer each year during this month.

The eleventh day of September shall annually be set apart as a day to be known as “Firefighters’ and Police Officers’ Appreciation Day.” This day shall be observed by the people of this state with appropriate ceremonies and activities that honor and commemorate all the dedicated …

The month of August shall annually be set apart as a month to be known as “Rhythm & Blues Heritage Month.” The month shall be observed by the people of this state with appropriate ceremonies and activities that celebrate the heritage of rhythm and blues music in our state.

The calendar week beginning with the first Sunday of July in each year, or any subsequent week during the months of July, August, or September in each year, is designated as “Old Home Week,” and is set apart as a season during which cities and towns may conduct appropriate celebr…

February 27th in each and every year shall be set apart as “Dominican Republic Independence Day.” The day is to be observed by the people of this state with appropriate exercises in public places.

The first Monday in the month of October shall annually be set apart as a day to be known as “John Clarke Day”. The day shall be observed by the people of this state with appropriate ceremonies and activities that celebrate the many contributions John Clarke made to our state.

The fifth (5th) day of March annually shall be set apart as a day to be known as “Rhode Island Seabees Day.” The day shall be observed by the people of this state with appropriate ceremonies and activities that celebrate the many contributions of the Navy Seabees.