Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

PRINTER'S NO.    3476
                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
                          HOUSE BILL
                          No. 2482
                                                 Session of
                                                   2024
     INTRODUCED BY COOPER, KAUFER, VENKAT, PROBST, McNEILL, BRENNAN,
        MARCELL, GUENST, SOLOMON, ROWE, LEADBETER, HADDOCK, MENTZER,
        PICKETT, KHAN, OTTEN, DALEY, GREEN AND FLEMING, JULY 2, 2024
     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, JULY 2, 2024
                                      AN ACT
 Amending Title 38 (Holidays and Observances) of the Pennsylvania
    Consolidated Statutes, providing for religious observances.
    The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 hereby enacts as follows:
    Section 1.     Title 38 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 Statutes is amended by adding a part to read:
                                 PART III
                          RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES
                                CHAPTER 21
                         PASSOVER AND YOM KIPPUR
 Sec.
 2101.   Legislative findings.
 2102.   Designation.
 § 2101.    Legislative findings.
    The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
           (1)   Passover is widely celebrated as one of the most
    sacred holidays of Judaism.
           (2)   Passover commemorates the freedom of the Israelites
    from slavery.
           (3)   Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, is considered the
    holiest day of the Jewish calendar.
           (4)   Yom Kippur is set aside as a day of prayer, fasting,
    introspection and repentance.
           (5)   More than 400,000 Pennsylvanians are among those in
    the worldwide Jewish population who observe Passover and the
    holy day of Yom Kippur.
 § 2102.    Designation.
    In accordance with longstanding Jewish tradition, the
 following days shall be observed by the Commonwealth:
           (1)   The 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan shall be
    recognized as the First Day of Passover.
           (2)   Ten days after Rosh Hashanah, the 10th day of
    Tishri, shall be recognized as Yom Kippur.
    Section 2.     Nothing in this act shall be construed to require
 an employer or the Commonwealth to consider Passover or Yom
 Kippur as a legal holiday or to provide paid leave to an
 employee solely on the basis of the dates designated in this
 act.
    Section 3.     This act shall take effect immediately.
20240HB2482PN3476                     - 2 -