BILL NUMBER: S4670
SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing certain
school holidays
 
PURPOSE:
The purpose of the bill is to avail students from different religious
and cultural backgrounds to celebrate their traditional festivities with
their family and community.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of the bill amends section 3210 of the education law section
and adds a new section 3204-a. Section 3204-a allows Eid al-Fitr, Eid
al-Adha, Diwali, Lunar New Year, Tihar, Sandi Chhor Divas and Onam to be
considered school holidays in districts where a sizable portion of
students observe such religious or cultural days.
Section 2 sets the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
New York is a multi-cultural state. It is a melting pot of big and small
communities of various religious and cultural backgrounds. When holidays
and festivals fall on school days, parents and teachers must choose
between school absence and not celebrating their cultural or religious
heritage.
In New York there are over one million Muslims, 227,000 practicing
Hindus, 80,000 Sikhs and about two million celebrate Diwali and Onam.
Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Diwali, and Onam are primary festivals for
communities of South Asian descent and are widely celebrated throughout
the state.
This bill would allow children from these communities to forge stronger
bonds with family and friends with the opportunity to learn and appreci-
ate their respective cultural and religious heritage.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-2024: S.513-B (Thomas)/ A.2339-A (Solages) - 2023 Passed Senate/
2024-Referred to Education.
2021-2022: S.151 (Thomas) / A.3442 (Solages) - Referred to Education.
2019-2020: S.4038 (Thomas) / A.6797 (Solages) - Referred to Education.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date
on which it shall have become a law.