What's happening
This bill establishes Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) as a school holiday in certain New York districts with significant South-Asian populations.
Why it matters
Recognizes and affirms the cultural significance of Diwali. for South Asian communities, particularly those of Hindu, Indian, Bangladeshi, and Sri Lankan descent, by officially closing schools on Lakshmi Puja in districts with substantial South Asian populations.
Sets objective demographic thresholds. for determining which school districts must observe the holiday, using U.S. Census data: districts with at least 7.5% Asian or 3% South Asian (including specified subgroups) populations in cities over one million residents.
Prevents penalization of schools for observing Diwali. by ensuring that the holiday does not count against required instructional days, thereby protecting state funding and compliance with education mandates.
Signals increased recognition and accommodation of religious and cultural diversity. in public institutions, which could encourage broader conversations about inclusion and the observance of other culturally significant holidays.
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Add Diwali as School Holiday
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Make Diwali a School Holiday
In Senate Committee · Education · Sponsor Tony Avella
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
631
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 9, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. M. G. MILLER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the Diwali school holiday
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 3204-a to read as follows:
§ 3204-a. Hindu festival of lights school holiday. 1. 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.
2. A qualified school district, for purposes of this section, shall include a city school district of a city having a population of one million or more inhabitants and having an Asian population equal to or greater than seven and one-half percent. The Asian population, for purposes of this section, shall include those persons, adults and children, who are fully or partially of Asian descent and shall include all those persons and ethnic groups identified as Asian by the United States census bureau in the most recent decennial United States census. In the event that the state of New York or the United States census bureau collects population data for the state of New York which denotes the number of citizens of Asian-Indian, Bangladeshi, and Sri Lankan descent, then a qualified school district shall include a city school district of a city having a population of one million or more inhabitants and having a South Asian population, including Asian-Indian, Bangladeshi, and Sri Lankan equal to or greater than three percent.
3. The school authorities of every qualified school district are hereby authorized and directed to cause all public schools within such district to be closed on Lakshmi Puja, during the festival of Diwali.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01279-01-7
A. 631 2
§ 2. Section 3604 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdivision 7-c to read as follows:
7-c. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for purposes of any calculation under subdivision seven or eight of this section, the commissioner shall disregard any reduction resulting from observance of Lakshmi Puja, during the festival of Diwali and, if necessary, such observed holiday shall be calculated as a session day.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a 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.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.