Bill Text: NY A08597 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to the designation of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, as a public holiday.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-12 - referred to governmental operations [A08597 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A08597-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8597

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 12, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M. of A. RAJKUMAR, ANDERSON -- read once and referred to
          the Committee on Governmental Operations

        AN ACT to amend the general construction law, in relation to the  desig-
          nation of Diwali as a public holiday

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Section 24 of the general construction law, as  amended  by
     2  chapter 249 of the laws of 2020, is amended to read as follows:
     3    § 24. Public holidays; half-holidays. The term public holiday includes
     4  the  following days in each year: the first day of January, known as New
     5  Year's day; the third Monday of January,  known  as  Dr.  Martin  Luther
     6  King, Jr. day; the twelfth day of February, known as Lincoln's birthday;
     7  the  third  Monday in February, known as Washington's birthday; the last
     8  Monday in May, known as Memorial day; the second Sunday in  June,  known
     9  as Flag day; the nineteenth day of June, known as Juneteenth; the fourth
    10  day  of  July, known as Independence day; the first Monday in September,
    11  known as Labor day; the second Monday in October, known as Columbus day;
    12  the eleventh day of November, known as Veterans' day; the fourth  Thurs-
    13  day  in  November, known as Thanksgiving day; [and] the twenty-fifth day
    14  of December, known as Christmas day; and the fifteenth day of the  Hindu
    15  lunisolar  month of Kartik, known as Lakshmi Puja, or the Hindu festival
    16  of lights, and if any of such days except Flag day is Sunday,  the  next
    17  day thereafter; each general election day, and each day appointed by the
    18  president of the United States or by the governor of this state as a day
    19  of  general  thanksgiving,  general fasting and prayer, or other general
    20  religious observances. The term half-holiday includes  the  period  from
    21  noon to midnight of each Saturday which is not a public holiday.
    22    §  2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
    23  ing the date on which it shall have become a law.


         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04378-01-3