NY State Senate Bill S4038

senate Bill S4038

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Relates to establishing certain cultural and religious observances as school holidays

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

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

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Feb 26, 2019	referred to education

S4038 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6797
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §3204-a, amd §3604, Ed L

S4038 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to establishing Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Diwali, Vaisakhi, Good Friday and Onam as school holidays.

S4038 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

 
BILL NUMBER: S4038

SPONSOR: THOMAS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing certain
school holidays

 
PURPOSE:

The purpose of the bill is to avail students from different religious
and cultural backgrounds to celebrate their traditional festivities with
their family and community.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill amends the education law by adding a new section
3204-a that allow school boards or trustees to determine certain
cultural and religious festivities as holidays. It identifies the obser-
vance of Eid alFitr, Eid al-Adha, Diwali, Vaisakhi, Good Friday, and
Onam. It also allows school districts with population equal to or great-

er than seven and half percent of those ethnic and cultural groups to
declare those days as holidays.

Section 2 adds a new subsection to Section 3604 of the education law
that allow the commissioner to disregard any reduction resulting from
observance of these traditional and religious days, and instead be
calculated as session days.

Section 3 sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

New York is a multi-cultural state. It is a melting pot of big and small
communities of various religious and cultural backgrounds. It is esti-
mated over one million of its population are Muslims, 80,000 Sikhs, some
six million celebrate Good Friday, and about two million celebrate Diwa-
li and Onam. Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Diwali, Vaisakhi, Good Friday,
and Onam are primary festivals for these communities and are widely
celebrated throughout the state. They also serve as community building
exercise and medium through which traditions and cultures are handed
down to next generations. This bill would allow children from these
communities to forge stronger bonds with family and friends with the
opportunity to learn and appreciate their respective cultural and reli-
gious heritage.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first on July next succeeding the date
on which it shall have become a law.

S4038 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf


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

                                  4038

                       2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            February 26, 2019
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  THOMAS -- 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  certain
  school holidays

  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:
  § 3204-A. CULTURAL SCHOOL HOLIDAYS. 1. THE FOLLOWING CULTURAL OR RELI-
GIOUS HOLIDAYS SHALL BE  SCHOOL  HOLIDAYS  FOR  ANY  SCHOOLS  OR  SCHOOL
DISTRICTS  WHERE  THE  BOARD  OF  EDUCATION  OR TRUSTEES DETERMINES SUCH
SCHOOLS OR DISTRICTS HAVE  A  SIGNIFICANT  POPULATION  OF  STUDENTS  WHO
OBSERVE  SUCH  DAYS:  EID  AL-FITR,  EID AL-ADHA, DIWALI, VAISAKHI, GOOD
FRIDAY AND ONAM.
  2. A SCHOOL DISTRICT HAVING A POPULATION  EQUAL  TO  OR  GREATER  THAN
SEVEN  AND  ONE-HALF  PERCENT OF PERSONS OR ETHNIC GROUPS, IDENTIFIED BY
THE UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU IN  THE  MOST  RECENT  DECENNIAL  UNITED
STATES  CENSUS,  WHICH OBSERVE THE RESPECTIVE HOLIDAYS NAMED IN SUBDIVI-
SION ONE OF THIS SECTION ARE HEREBY AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED TO CAUSE ALL
PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITHIN SUCH DISTRICT TO BE CLOSED ON SUCH DAYS.
  § 2. Section 3604 of the education law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
subdivision 7-c to read as follows:
  7-C.  NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, FOR PURPOSES OF ANY
CALCULATION UNDER SUBDIVISION  SEVEN  OR  EIGHT  OF  THIS  SECTION,  THE
COMMISSIONER  SHALL DISREGARD ANY REDUCTION RESULTING FROM OBSERVANCE OF
EID AL-FITR, EID AL-ADHA, DIWALI, VAISAKHI, GOOD FRIDAY AND ONAM AND, IF
NECESSARY, SUCH OBSERVED HOLIDAYS SHALL BE CALCULATED AS SESSION DAYS.
  § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July  next  succeeding
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.
                                                           LBD10085-03-9

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The New York State Senate

senate Bill S4038

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

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S4038 (ACTIVE) - Details

S4038 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S4038 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S4038 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

senate Bill S4038

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Sponsored By

Kevin Thomas

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Your Voice

Actions

S4038 (ACTIVE) - Details

S4038 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S4038 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S4038 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments