assembly Bill A4281A

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Relates to observance of all religious holidays by institutions within the state university and the city university of New York, and includes the Asian Lunar New Year within the definition of such holidays

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Assembly Committee


  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor Calendar
    • Passed Senate
    • Passed Assembly
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed/Vetoed by Governor

Your Voice

do you support this bill?

Please enter your contact information

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

view actions (4)
Assembly Actions - Lowercase
Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 08, 2020 referred to higher education
Jun 06, 2019 print number 4281a
Jun 06, 2019 amend (t) and recommit to higher education
Feb 04, 2019 referred to higher education

Co-Sponsors

Multi-Sponsors

A4281 - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S5695
Current Committee:
Assembly Higher Education
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Add §6235, amd §224-a, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2011-2012: S7176
2013-2014: A6947, S684
2015-2016: A2663, S914
2017-2018: A4930, S1560
2021-2022: A4249, S1137
2023-2024: A468, S2208

A4281 - Summary

Relates to observance of all religious holidays by institutions within the state university and the city university of New York, and includes the Asian Lunar New Year within the definition of such holidays.

A4281 - Bill Text download pdf


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

                                  4281

                       2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            February 4, 2019
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M. of A. WEPRIN, BARRON, BLAKE, QUART, COLTON, MOSLEY --
  Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. RAMOS -- read once and referred to  the
  Committee on Higher Education

AN  ACT to amend the education law, in relation to observance of certain
  holidays by institutions within the  state  university  and  the  city
  university of New York

  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 362 to
read as follows:
  § 362. HOLIDAYS TO BE OBSERVED.  NO  CLASS  OR  ANY  OTHER  COURSE  OF
INSTRUCTION SHALL BE HELD IN ANY INSTITUTION WITHIN THE STATE UNIVERSITY
ON THOSE DAYS OF RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE KNOWN AS EID UL-FITR, EID UL-ADHA,
DIWALI  AND  THE ASIAN LUNAR NEW YEAR, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT THE CHAN-
CELLOR, IN HIS OR HER DISCRETION, MAY EXEMPT ANY  INSTITUTION  FROM  THE
FOREGOING PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.
  § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 6235 to read
as follows:
  §  6235.  HOLIDAYS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  NO CLASS OR ANY OTHER COURSE OF
INSTRUCTION SHALL BE HELD IN ANY INSTITUTION WITHIN THE CITY  UNIVERSITY
ON THOSE DAYS OF RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE KNOWN AS EID UL-FITR, EID UL-ADHA,
DIWALI AND THE ASIAN LUNAR NEW YEAR PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT THE CHANCEL-
LOR, IN HIS OR HER DISCRETION, MAY EXEMPT ANY INSTITUTION FROM THE FORE-
GOING PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.
  § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.



 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD07394-01-9

Co-Sponsors

Multi-Sponsors

A4281A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S5695
Current Committee:
Assembly Higher Education
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Add §6235, amd §224-a, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2011-2012: S7176
2013-2014: A6947, S684
2015-2016: A2663, S914
2017-2018: A4930, S1560
2021-2022: A4249, S1137
2023-2024: A468, S2208

A4281A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to observance of all religious holidays by institutions within the state university and the city university of New York, and includes the Asian Lunar New Year within the definition of such holidays.

A4281A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf


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

                                 4281--A

                       2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            February 4, 2019
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M. of A. WEPRIN, BARRON, BLAKE, QUART, COLTON, MOSLEY --
  Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. RAMOS -- read once and referred to  the
  Committee  on  Higher Education -- committee discharged, bill amended,
  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the observance of  all
  religious holidays by institutions within the state university and the
  city  university  of  New York, and including the Asian Lunar New Year
  within the definition of such holidays

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

  Section  1.  Section 224-a of the education law is amended by adding a
new subdivision 8 to read as follows:
  8. NOTWITHSTANDING THE DEFINITION OF "RELIGIOUS BELIEF" AS DEFINED  IN
SUBDIVISION  SEVEN  OF  THIS  SECTION,  ANY  STUDENT THAT CELEBRATES THE
CULTURAL OBSERVANCE OF THE ASIAN LUNAR NEW YEAR  SHALL  BE  EXCUSED  FOR
THAT  CULTURAL  OBSERVANCE IN THE SAME MANNER AS STUDENTS EXCUSED DUE TO
SUCH STUDENTS' RELIGIOUS BELIEFS PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
  § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 6235 to read
as follows:
  § 6235. STUDENTS UNABLE BECAUSE OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS  TO  REGISTER  OR
ATTEND  CLASSES  ON CERTAIN DAYS. 1. NO PERSON SHALL BE EXPELLED FROM OR
BE REFUSED ADMISSION AS A STUDENT TO AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER  EDUCATION
FOR THE REASON THAT HE OR SHE IS UNABLE, BECAUSE OF HIS OR HER RELIGIOUS
BELIEFS, TO REGISTER OR ATTEND CLASSES OR TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY EXAMINA-
TION, STUDY OR WORK REQUIREMENTS ON A PARTICULAR DAY OR DAYS.
  2.  ANY  STUDENT  IN AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION WHO IS UNABLE,
BECAUSE OF HIS OR HER RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, TO ATTEND CLASSES ON A  PARTIC-
ULAR DAY OR DAYS SHALL, BECAUSE OF SUCH ABSENCE ON THE PARTICULAR DAY OR
DAYS, BE EXCUSED FROM ANY EXAMINATION OR ANY STUDY OR WORK REQUIREMENTS.
  3.  IT  SHALL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FACULTY AND OF THE ADMINIS-
TRATIVE OFFICIALS OF EACH INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO MAKE AVAIL-

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