Washington-Lincoln Recognition Act of 2003

The Washington-Lincoln Recognition Act of 2003 (H.R. 778) proposes to officially designate the federal holiday currently observed on the third Monday of February exclusively as "Washington's Birthday." The bill would require all federal agencies, officials, and federally funded publications to use this specific name rather than the commonly used "Presidents' Day." Additionally, the legislation requests that the President issue an annual proclamation to specifically recognize and honor Abraham Lincoln's birthday. For the average citizen, this change would primarily affect how the holiday is labeled in government communications and calendars, though it would not change the date of the holiday or federal employee time-off policies.