NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A10628
SPONSOR: Rules (Hyndman) TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the general construction law, in relation to designating
June nineteenth as a public holiday
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To designate June Nineteenth as a public holiday in the State of New
York.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Amends Section 24 of the general construction law, as amended
by chapter 347 of the laws of 1984 to include nineteenth day of June,
known as Juneteenth as a public holiday
Section 2: Sets the effective date
JUSTIFICATION:
June Nineteenth (Juneteenth) is a day which commemorates Black and Afri-
can American freedom and achievements while encouraging continuous self-
development and respect for all cultures.
As a state, it is our duty to recognize and celebrate June Nineteenth
not only by adopting resolutions, but by pausing statewide to acknowl-
edge and reflect on a day that changed the trajectory of the lives of
most Blacks and African Americans being held as slaves in U.S. On June
19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger and federal troops arrived in
Galveston, Texas, to take control of the state and enforce the Emancipa-
tion Proclamation marking the effective end of slavery in the United
States.
According to the United States Census Bureau, African Americans and
Blacks make up about 17.6% of New Yorkers. It is imperative to recognize
the integral role Blacks and African Americans play in the development
of this state and it is further crucial for us as a state to not only
celebrate but to take the time to educate ourselves about the history of
the Black and African American community.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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10628
IN ASSEMBLY
June 10, 2020
___________
Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Hyndman) --
read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the general construction law, in relation to designating
June nineteenth 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 nineteenth day of June, known as Juneteenth; the fourth
10 day of July, known as Independence day; the first Monday in September,
11 known as Labor day; the second Monday in October, known as Columbus day;
12 the eleventh day of November, known as Veterans' day; the fourth Thurs-
13 day in November, known as Thanksgiving day; and the twenty-fifth day of
14 December, known as Christmas day, and if any of such days except Flag
15 day is Sunday, the next day thereafter; each general election day, and
16 each day appointed by the president of the United States or by the
17 governor of this state as a day of general thanksgiving, general fasting
18 and prayer, or other general religious observances. The term half-holi-
19 day includes the period from noon to midnight of each Saturday which is
20 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.
LBD16688-01-0
