NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A4331
SPONSOR: Miller TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the general construction law, in
relation to the designation of Diwali as a public holiday
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To include Diwali as a recognized public holiday.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1:
Amends the General Construction Law to include Diwali as a public holi-
day.This section lists the current public holidays and adds Diwali to
the list.
JUSTIFICATION:
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. It
is observed by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jainists. Allowing such a holiday to
be recognized as a public holiday in New York State demonstrates the
importance of New York State'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.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
None.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Effective immediately
STATE OF NEW YORK
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4331
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 30, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. MILLER -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the general construction law, in relation to the desig-
nation of Diwali 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 347 of the laws of 1984, 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 last
8 Monday in May, known as Memorial day; the second Sunday in June, known
9 as Flag day; the fourth day of July, known as Independence day; the
10 first Monday in September, known as Labor day; the second Monday in
11 October, known as Columbus day; the eleventh day of November, known as
12 Veterans' day; the fourth Thursday in November, known as Thanksgiving
13 day; [and] the twenty-fifth day of December, known as Christmas day; and
14 the fifteenth day of the Hindu lunisolar month of Kartik, known as
15 Lakshmi Puja, or the Hindu festival of lights, and if any of such days
16 except Flag day is Sunday, the next day thereafter; each general
17 election day, and each day appointed by the president of the United
18 States or by the governor of this state as a day of general thanksgiv-
19 ing, general fasting and prayer, or other general religious observances.
20 The term half-holiday includes the period from noon to midnight of each
21 Saturday which is not a public holiday.
22 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
23 ing 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.
LBD07977-01-5
