Restoring Washington's Birthday Act of 2026
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Restoring Washington's Birthday Act amends the federal legal-holiday statute in two ways. It inserts a separate holiday named Lincoln's Birthday after the Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday entry, and it changes Washington's Birthday from the third Monday in February to February 22.
The Washington change replaces a recurring Monday holiday with the President's fixed birth date, so the day of the week varies from year to year. The inserted Lincoln's Birthday text names the holiday but, as drafted in the supplied bill text, does not state a date or a weekday formula. Implementing agencies may therefore need to determine how the new entry operates or Congress may need to clarify it.
The bill changes the federal holiday list. It does not automatically require private employers or state governments to close, alter school calendars, rename Washington's Birthday as Presidents Day, specify substitute-day rules beyond existing federal law, or appropriate extra operating funds. Federal payroll and closure effects depend on the existing rules for legal holidays and the interpretation of the undated Lincoln entry.
Who Benefits and How
Federal employees gain recognition of an additional named holiday if implemented as a separate day off. Lincoln-history and civic-education organizations gain a federal commemorative occasion. Washington commemoration advocates gain observance on February 22 rather than a Monday approximation.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Federal agencies may face an additional closure or premium-pay day and must update calendars, payroll, deadlines, and public-service schedules. Courts, postal operations, banks, contractors, and private businesses that follow federal calendars may need changes. A fixed February 22 holiday reduces the predictable three-day weekend, while the undated Lincoln entry creates legal and administrative uncertainty.
Key Provisions
- Adds Lincoln's Birthday to the federal holiday list.
- Moves Washington's Birthday to February 22.
- Replaces the third-Monday formula for Washington's Birthday.
- Requires federal calendars and payroll systems to be updated.
- Creates a separate presidential commemoration entry.
- Provides no date in the inserted Lincoln's Birthday text.
- Leaves private-employer and state-holiday rules unchanged.
- Preserves existing substitute-day rules unless otherwise affected.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Adds Lincoln's Birthday to the federal legal-holiday list and changes Washington's Birthday from the third Monday in February to the fixed calendar date of February 22.
Key Policy Areas
Federal Holidays, Presidential Commemoration, Federal Workforce, Government Operations, Calendar Administration
Primary Purpose
Adds Lincoln's Birthday to the federal legal-holiday list and changes Washington's Birthday from the third Monday in February to the fixed calendar date of February 22.
Policy Domains
Section 2 added Lincoln holiday and fixed Washington date
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Federal employees receiving holiday observance
- Lincoln historical organizations
- Washington commemoration advocates
- Civic educators teaching presidential history
- Tourism sites hosting presidential events
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Federal payroll administrators
- Federal agencies scheduling public services
- Courts adjusting legal deadlines
- Postal operations adjusting delivery calendars
- Federal contractors following closures
- Workers losing a predictable Monday holiday
- Officials interpreting the undated Lincoln entry
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeReferred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Introduced in House
Mr. Ogles introduced the following bill; which was referred to …
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "agency"
- → Federal agency scheduling public services
- "employee"
- → Federal employee subject to the holiday calendar
- "historian"
- → Civic organization commemorating Lincoln or Washington
- "contractor"
- → Federal contractor following government closures
- "administrator"
- → Federal payroll or calendar official
Note: {'scope_ids': ['lincoln_washington_federal_holidays'], 'description': 'The Washington date is clear, but the inserted Lincoln entry lacks a date in the bill text; federal holiday status does not automatically control private, school, or state calendars.'}
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Application through 5 U.S.C. 6103 without an automatic mandate for private or state closures.
A newly named federal legal holiday whose inserted text does not state a date or weekday formula.
The fixed calendar date replacing the third Monday in February for Washington's Birthday.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology