Colorado § 22-1-142 - Tribal regalia at school graduation ceremonies - definitions.

§ 22-1-142. Tribal regalia at school graduation ceremonies - definitions.

(1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) "Graduation attire" means attire that a school or school district requires a student to wear as part of the dress code for a graduation ceremony.

(b) "Qualifying student" means a student who is a descendant of people who were living in North America prior to the time people from Europe began settling in North America, is an enrolled member of a federally recognized or state-recognized Indian tribe, or is a lineal descendant of a tribally enrolled parent or grandparent.

(c) "Tribal regalia" means a tribe's traditional dress or recognized objects of religious or cultural significance and includes the following items of cultural significance:

(I) Tribal symbols;

(II) Beads; and

(III) Feathers, in line with the federal "Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918".

(d) "Tribe" means a tribe, band, nation, or Alaskan Native village that is recognized by federal law or that a state formally acknowledges.

(2) A qualifying student may wear tribal regalia during a graduation ceremony; except that a qualifying student who is not an enrolled member of a tribe shall not wear eagle feathers. Wearing tribal regalia includes decorating graduation attire with tribal regalia; except that a qualifying student who is not an enrolled member of a tribe shall not decorate with eagle feathers.

(3) (a) An immediate family member of a qualifying student may wear and display tribal regalia during the qualifying student's graduation ceremony if the immediate family member is:

(I) An enrolled member of a tribe;

(II) Eligible to be enrolled as a member of a tribe; or

(III) A lineal descendant of a tribally enrolled parent or grandparent.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (3)(a) of this section, an immediate family member who is not an enrolled member of a tribe shall not wear eagle feathers.

(4) A school or school district shall not prohibit a qualifying student or the qualifying student's immediate family from wearing and displaying tribal regalia at a graduation ceremony.

(5) This section applies to all public school graduations, including, but not limited to, kindergarten, middle school, junior high school, and high school graduations.

Source: L. 2023: Entire section added, (SB 23-202), ch. 149, p. 632, § 1, effective May 4.