NY State Senate Bill 2025-S4670

Senate Bill S4670

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to establishing certain cultural and religious observances as school holidays in certain districts

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Feb 11, 2025	referred to education

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2025-S4670 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §3210, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S4038
2021-2022: S151
2023-2024: S513

2025-S4670 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to establishing Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Diwali, Lunar New Year, Tihar, Bandi Chhor Divas and Onam as school holidays.

2025-S4670 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
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.

2025-S4670 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4670
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 11, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. JACKSON, BAILEY, COMRIE, COONEY, GOUNARDES, MARTI-
   NEZ, MAY, PALUMBO, PERSAUD, RAMOS, RHOADS, SEPULVEDA, SKOUFIS,  STAVI-
   SKY,  WEBB  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be
   committed to the Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to  establishing  certain
   school holidays

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Paragraph b of subdivision 1 of section 3210 of the  educa-
 tion  law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new subparagraph (iii) to read as
 follows:
   (III) THE FOLLOWING CULTURAL OR RELIGIOUS  HOLIDAYS  SHALL  BE  SCHOOL
 HOLIDAYS  FOR  ANY SCHOOLS OR SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHERE THE BOARD OF EDUCA-
 TION OR TRUSTEES DETERMINES SUCH SCHOOLS OR  DISTRICTS  HAVE  A  SIZABLE
 PROPORTION  OF STUDENTS WHO OBSERVE SUCH DAYS: EID AL-FITR, EID AL-ADHA,
 DIWALI, LUNAR NEW YEAR, TIHAR, BANDI CHHOR DIVAS AND ONAM.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July  next  succeeding
 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.
                                                            LBD07939-01-5

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