NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A7370
SPONSOR: Reyes TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the general construction law, in relation to designating
March eighth as a public holiday
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To establish a public holiday that commemorates the achievements of
women through the designation of March eighth as a public holiday, to be
known as Women's Day.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one amends section 24 of the general construction law to declare
the eighth of March a public holiday, to be known as Women's Day.
Section two establishes the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
International Women's Day is a global day celebrated on March 8th which
honors the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of
women. Celebrated annually since 1911, International Women's Day marks a
call to action for accelerating gender parity and promotes women's
rights. Currently 27 counties have officially adopted Women's Day as a
national holiday, and it is widely observed in several others.
The 1848 Seneca Falls Convention was the first women's rights convention
in the United States leading to the ultimate success of ensuring Ameri-
can women have the right to vote. Given New York State's rich history as
the birthplace of the women's suffrage movement, it is time for New York
to officially recognize International Women's Day.
This legislation will commemorate our state's historic and current lead-
ership in the advancement of women's rights by recognizing March 8th,
International Women's Day, as an official New York State holiday.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-2022 - A9405 - Died in Governmental Operations
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7370
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 25, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. REYES, ANDERSON, EPSTEIN, MEEKS, ROSENTHAL, WOER-
NER, RAJKUMAR, SIMON, McMAHON, KELLES, DE LOS SANTOS, JACKSON, LAVINE,
FALL, TAPIA, GONZALEZ-ROJAS -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the general construction law, in relation to designating
March eighth 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 eighth
8 day of March, known as Women's day; the last Monday in May, known as
9 Memorial day; the second Sunday in June, known as Flag day; the nine-
10 teenth day of June, known as Juneteenth; the fourth day of July, known
11 as Independence day; the first Monday in September, known as Labor day;
12 the second Monday in October, known as Columbus day; the eleventh day of
13 November, known as Veterans' day; the fourth Thursday in November, known
14 as Thanksgiving day; and the twenty-fifth day of December, known as
15 Christmas day, and if any of such days except Flag day is Sunday, the
16 next day thereafter; each general election day, and each day appointed
17 by the president of the United States or by the governor of this state
18 as a day of general thanksgiving, general fasting and prayer, or other
19 general religious observances. The term half-holiday includes the period
20 from noon to midnight of each Saturday which is not a public holiday.
21 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10787-01-5
