Federal Holiday Shuffle: MLK Jr. Day Moves to Tuesday When It Collides with Inauguration Day

This bill, officially titled the Proper Celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Inauguration Day Act, is a highly specific administrative fix for a scheduling conflict that happens once every few decades. Essentially, it clarifies what happens when the third Monday in January (MLK Jr. Day) ends up being the same day as the official observance of Inauguration Day.

The Rare Calendar Collision

Right now, MLK Jr. Day is the third Monday in January. Inauguration Day is January 20th. However, if January 20th falls on a Sunday, the federal observance of Inauguration Day shifts to Monday, January 21st. This only happens when the 20th is a Sunday, which is rare. When this collision occurs, the federal government currently has two holidays falling on the same day.

This Act resolves that scheduling oddity by saying that if the official observance of Inauguration Day lands on the same day as MLK Jr. Day, the celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day must move to the Tuesday immediately following that Monday. The goal is simple: ensure both holidays get their own day, even if their standard dates would overlap. It’s a clean, procedural adjustment meant to give both observances their due.

What This Means for Your Paycheck and Schedule

For most people, this is a non-event. It only affects federal employees and the services they provide, and even then, only in specific, quadrennial years. If you work for a company that follows the federal holiday schedule, this change means that instead of getting a single long weekend that combines two holidays, you will get two separate days off in that rare circumstance. For example, if the overlap happens, you would get Monday off for Inauguration Day and Tuesday off for MLK Jr. Day. It’s a clarification that ensures federal workers—and the public they serve—don't lose out on a distinct day of observance simply because the calendar aligned awkwardly. This is less about policy and more about making sure the federal calendar doesn't accidentally shortchange an important national holiday.