S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4743
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 6, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. CHANG, BENDETT, NOVAKHOV, SMULLEN, TAGUE, MAHER,
   GIGLIO, MILLER, BEEPHAN, SLATER --  read  once  and  referred  to  the
   Committee on Governmental Operations
 
 AN ACT to amend the legislative law and the general construction law, in
   relation  to the identification of Asian Lunar New Year and the decla-
   ration of such day as a public holiday
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section  15 of the legislative law is amended by adding a
 new undesignated paragraph to read as follows:
   THE RESPECTIVE SECRETARY AND CLERK SHALL ACCURATELY IDENTIFY THE PROP-
 ER DATE OF EACH YEAR'S ASIAN LUNAR  NEW  YEAR  ACCORDING  TO  THE  LUNAR
 CALENDAR.   THE RESPECTIVE SECRETARY AND CLERK SHALL CONSULT WITH REPRE-
 SENTATIVES OF APPROPRIATE ORGANIZATIONS OR OTHER OFFICIALS IN  IDENTIFY-
 ING  SUCH  DATE.   BY JANUARY FIRST OF EACH CALENDAR YEAR, THE SECRETARY
 AND CLERK SHALL IDENTIFY AND REPORT IN WRITING THE CALENDAR DATES OF THE
 NEXT THREE SUCCEEDING LUNAR NEW YEARS TO THE GOVERNOR, THE SECRETARY  OF
 STATE,  THE STATE COMPTROLLER, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE MINORITY
 LEADER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE,  AND  THE
 MINORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE.
   § 2. Section 24 of the general construction law, as amended by chapter
 249 of the laws of 2020, is amended to read as follows:
   § 24. Public holidays; half-holidays. The term public holiday includes
 the  following days in each year: the first day of January, known as New
 Year's day; the third Monday of January,  known  as  Dr.  Martin  Luther
 King,  Jr.  day;  THE  ASIAN  LUNAR  NEW  YEAR AS IDENTIFIED PURSUANT TO
 SECTION FIFTEEN OF THE LEGISLATIVE LAW TO BE KNOWN AS  LUNAR  NEW  YEAR;
 the  twelfth  day  of  February,  known as Lincoln's birthday; the third
 Monday in February, known as Washington's birthday; the last  Monday  in
 May,  known  as  Memorial  day; the second Sunday in June, known as Flag
 day; the nineteenth day of June, known as Juneteenth; the fourth day  of
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07576-01-5
              

 A. 4743                             2
 
 July, known as Independence day; the first Monday in September, known as
 Labor  day;  the  second  Monday  in October, known as Columbus day; the
 eleventh day of November, known as Veterans' day; the fourth Thursday in
 November,  known as Thanksgiving day; and the twenty-fifth day of Decem-
 ber, known as Christmas day, and if any of such days except Flag day  is
 Sunday, the next day thereafter; each general election day, and each day
 appointed  by  the  president of the United States or by the governor of
 this state as a day of general thanksgiving, general fasting and prayer,
 or other general religious observances. The term  half-holiday  includes
 the  period from noon to midnight of each Saturday which is not a public
 holiday.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided that section two
 of this act shall take effect on the first Asian Lunar New Year  identi-
 fied by the secretary of the senate and the clerk of the assembly pursu-
 ant  to  section  15 of the legislative law; provided, further, that the
 secretary of the senate and the clerk of the assembly shall  notify  the
 legislative  bill  drafting commission upon the occurrence of the enact-
 ment of the legislation provided for in section two of this act in order
 that the commission may maintain an accurate and timely  effective  data
 base  of  the official text of the laws of state of New York in further-
 ance of effectuating the provisions of section 44 of the legislative law
 and section 70-b of the public officers law.