Assembly Bill A4249

2021-2022 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 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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2021-A4249 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S1137
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
2019-2020: A4281, S5695
2023-2024: A468, S2208

2021-A4249 (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.

2021-A4249 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4249
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 1, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. WEPRIN, BARRON, QUART, COLTON -- 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 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-
 ABLE  TO  EACH  STUDENT WHO IS ABSENT FROM SCHOOL, BECAUSE OF HIS OR HER
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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