BILL NUMBER: S553
SPONSOR: LIU
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to the observance of all
religious holidays by institutions within the state university and the
city university of New York, and including the Asian Lunar New Year
within the definition of such holidays
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF THE BILL:
This legislation mandates that the state and city universities of New
York shall allow the student observance of ANY religious holiday
 
JUSTIFICATION:
This bill mandates that the state and city universities will not penal-
ize students for the observance of religious holidays and makes
provisions to allow students to observe any such holidays without harm
to their school standing.
Because the state and city universities already make accommodations by
suspending classes for the observance of certain religious observances
(e.g., Christmas, Easter, Passover, Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, etc.),
thus accommodations should be made for all other religious observances,
such as Eid Ul-Fitr, Eid Ul-Adha, and Diwali.
This bill also includes the Asian Lunar New Year, which is a significant
cultural holiday whose observance may include rituals from Buddhism,
Daoism, and Confucianism.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
03/02/24 PASSED SENATE
03/01/24 PASSED SENATE
02/08/22 PASSED SENATE REFERRED TO ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

Statutes affected:
S553: 224-a education law