Senate Bill S6928

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Establishes the Diwali school holiday

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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2015-S6928 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A902
Current Committee:
Senate Education
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Add §3204-a, amd §3604, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2013-2014: S7002, A9565
2017-2018: S1513, A631
2019-2020: S2776, A1030
2021-2022: S5709
2023-2024: S2743

2015-S6928 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes the Diwali school holiday in certain qualifying school districts to commemorate the Hindu festival of lights.

2015-S6928 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2015-S6928 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  6928

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              March 7, 2016
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  AVELLA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Education

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the Diwa-
  li school holiday

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 3204-a
to read as follows:
  S  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  CHIL-
DREN,  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 HERE-
BY  AUTHORIZED  AND  DIRECTED  TO  CAUSE  ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITHIN SUCH
DISTRICT TO BE CLOSED ON LAKSHMI PUJA, DURING THE FESTIVAL OF DIWALI.
  S 2. Section 3604 of the education law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
subdivision 7-c to read as follows:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD02892-01-5
              

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