S-3899.2
SENATE BILL 6149
State of Washington 68th Legislature 2024 Regular Session
By Senators J. Wilson, Dhingra, Gildon, and Hasegawa
Read first time 01/10/24. Referred to Committee on State Government
& Elections.
1 AN ACT Relating to designating kimchi day; reenacting and
2 amending RCW 1.16.050; and creating a new section.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
4 NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that kimchi is a
5 traditional Korean dish with a long, rich history beginning over
6 2,000 years ago during the time of the three kingdoms of Korea.
7 "Kimjang," the process by which kimchi is prepared, has been
8 recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity by the
9 United Nations educational, scientific, and cultural organization.
10 Kimchi is found for sale across the United States at major retailers
11 and is becoming an international staple as an excellent source of
12 probiotics, filate, beta-carotene, choline, potassium, calcium, and
13 vitamins A, C, and K, many of which contribute to lower rates of
14 stroke, cancer, and diabetes. The legislature further finds that
15 South Korea celebrates "national kimchi day" on November 22nd,
16 representing the 11 major ingredients and 22 health benefits of the
17 dish. The states of California, Virginia, and Hawaii also recognize
18 this day. The legislature intends to join these governments by
19 recognizing November 22nd of each year as "kimchi day."
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 1 Sec. 2. RCW 1.16.050 and 2023 c 387 s 3 and 2023 c 181 s 2 are
2 each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
3 (1) The following are state legal holidays:
4 (a) Sunday;
5 (b) The first day of January, commonly called New Year's Day;
6 (c) The third Monday of January, celebrated as the anniversary of
7 the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr.;
8 (d) The third Monday of February, to be known as Presidents' Day
9 and celebrated as the anniversary of the births of Abraham Lincoln
10 and George Washington;
11 (e) The last Monday of May, commonly known as Memorial Day;
12 (f) The nineteenth day of June, recognized as Juneteenth, a day
13 of remembrance for the day the African slaves learned of their
14 freedom;
15 (g) The fourth day of July, the anniversary of the Declaration of
16 Independence;
17 (h) The first Monday in September, to be known as Labor Day;
18 (i) The eleventh day of November, to be known as Veterans Day;
19 (j) The fourth Thursday in November, to be known as Thanksgiving
20 Day;
21 (k) The Friday immediately following the fourth Thursday in
22 November, to be known as Native American Heritage Day; and
23 (l) The twenty-fifth day of December, commonly called Christmas
24 Day.
25 (2) Employees of the state and its political subdivisions, except
26 employees of school districts and except those nonclassified
27 employees of institutions of higher education who hold appointments
28 or are employed under contracts to perform services for periods of
29 less than twelve consecutive months, are entitled to one paid holiday
30 per calendar year in addition to those specified in this section.
31 Each employee of the state or its political subdivisions may select
32 the day on which the employee desires to take the additional holiday
33 provided for in this section after consultation with the employer
34 pursuant to guidelines to be promulgated by rule of the appropriate
35 personnel authority, or in the case of local government by ordinance
36 or resolution of the legislative authority.
37 (3) Employees of the state and its political subdivisions,
38 including employees of school districts and those nonclassified
39 employees of institutions of higher education who hold appointments
40 or are employed under contracts to perform services for periods of
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 1 less than twelve consecutive months, are entitled to two unpaid
2 holidays per calendar year for a reason of faith or conscience or an
3 organized activity conducted under the auspices of a religious
4 denomination, church, or religious organization. This includes
5 employees of public institutions of higher education, including
6 community colleges, technical colleges, and workforce training
7 programs. The employee may select the days on which the employee
8 desires to take the two unpaid holidays after consultation with the
9 employer pursuant to guidelines to be promulgated by rule of the
10 appropriate personnel authority, or in the case of local government
11 by ordinance or resolution of the legislative authority. If an
12 employee prefers to take the two unpaid holidays on specific days for
13 a reason of faith or conscience, or an organized activity conducted
14 under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious
15 organization, the employer must allow the employee to do so unless
16 the employee's absence would impose an undue hardship on the employer
17 or the employee is necessary to maintain public safety. Undue
18 hardship shall have the meaning established in rule by the office of
19 financial management under RCW 43.41.109.
20 (4) If any of the state legal holidays specified in this section
21 are also federal legal holidays but observed on different dates, only
22 the state legal holidays are recognized as a paid legal holiday for
23 employees of the state and its political subdivisions. However, for
24 port districts and the law enforcement and public transit employees
25 of municipal corporations, either the federal or the state legal
26 holiday is recognized as a paid legal holiday, but in no case may
27 both holidays be recognized as a paid legal holiday for employees.
28 (5) Whenever any state legal holiday:
29 (a) Other than Sunday, falls upon a Sunday, the following Monday
30 is the legal holiday; or
31 (b) Falls upon a Saturday, the preceding Friday is the legal
32 holiday.
33 (6) Nothing in this section may be construed to have the effect
34 of adding or deleting the number of paid holidays provided for in an
35 agreement between employees and employers of political subdivisions
36 of the state or as established by ordinance or resolution of the
37 local government legislative authority.
38 (7) The legislature declares that the following days are
39 recognized as provided in this subsection, but may not be considered
40 legal holidays for any purpose:
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 1 (a) The thirteenth day of January, recognized as Korean-American
2 day;
3 (b) The twelfth day of October, recognized as Columbus day;
4 (c) The ninth day of April, recognized as former prisoner of war
5 recognition day;
6 (d) The twenty-sixth day of January, recognized as Washington
7 army and air national guard day;
8 (e) The seventh day of August, recognized as purple heart
9 recipient recognition day;
10 (f) The second Sunday in October, recognized as Washington state
11 children's day;
12 (g) The sixteenth day of April, recognized as Mother Joseph day;
13 (h) The fourth day of September, recognized as Marcus Whitman
14 day;
15 (i) The seventh day of December, recognized as Pearl Harbor
16 remembrance day;
17 (j) The twenty-seventh day of July, recognized as national Korean
18 war veterans armistice day;
19 (k) The nineteenth day of February, recognized as civil liberties
20 day of remembrance;
21 (l) The thirtieth day of March, recognized as welcome home
22 Vietnam veterans day;
23 (m) The eleventh day of January, recognized as human trafficking
24 awareness day;
25 (n) The thirty-first day of March, recognized as Cesar Chavez
26 day;
27 (o) The tenth day of April, recognized as Dolores Huerta day;
28 (p) The fourth Saturday of September, recognized as public lands
29 day;
30 (q) The eighteenth day of December, recognized as blood donor
31 day;
32 (r) The fifteenth day of May, recognized as water safety day;
33 ((and))
34 (s) The ninth day of March, recognized as Billy Frank Jr. day;
35 and
36 (t) The twenty-second day of November, recognized as kimchi day.
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