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History
- Referred to education
Companion bill
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Establishes the Diwali school holiday
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Michael G. Miller
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the Diwali school holiday
Summary of provisions
Section 1 adds new section 3204-a to the Education Law, requiring that the fifteenth day of the Hindu lunisolar month of Kartik, known as Lakshmi Puja, shall be a school holiday for any or all schools in a qualified school district where the board of education or trustees determines such schools have a significant South Asian population.
Qualified school districts shall include a city school district for a city having a population of one million or more inhabitants and having an Asian population equal to or greater than 7.5 percent, as identified by the United States census bureau in the most in the most recent decennial United States census. However, in the event that New York State of the United States census bureau collects population data which denotes the number of citizen of Asian-Indian, Bangladeshi, and Sri Lankan descent, then a qualified school district shall include a city school district for a city having a population of one million or more inhabitants and having a South Asian population equal to or greater than 3 percent.
Section 2 adds new subdivision 7-c to section 3604 of the Education Law, allowing the commissioner to count any such school holidays as a school session day.
Section 3 states that this act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become law; provided that any and all rules and regulations and any other measures necessary to implement any provision of this act on its effective date may be promulgated and taken, respectively, on or before such effective date.
Justification
New York is home to a wide variety of religions and ethnicities, each with their own set of holidays and festivals. When such holidays and festivals fall on school days, many teachers, and parents are required to choose between a school absence and not celebrating important cultural or religious observances. New York is home to many residents of South-Asian descent. Lakshmi Puja is celebrated on the third day of the five- day festival of Diwali and is considered the most significant part of the festival. Hindus, Sikhs, and Jainists observe it. Allowing such a school holiday demonstrates the importance of New York's cultural diversity and the significance of its South-Asian community. This recognition is already afforded to other ethnic and religious groups in New York.
Legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
Minimal.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become law; provided that any and all rules and regulations and any other measures necessary to implement any provision of this act on its effective date may be promulgated and taken, respectively, on or before such effective date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.