S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5710
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 16, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  COMRIE,  LIU,  PERSAUD, SANDERS, STAVISKY -- read
   twice and ordered printed, and when printed to  be  committed  to  the
   Committee on Judiciary
 
 AN  ACT to amend the general construction law, in relation to the desig-
   nation of Diwali as a public holiday

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section 24 of the general construction law, as amended by
 chapter 249 of the laws of 2020, is amended to read as follows:
   § 24. Public holidays; half-holidays. The term public holiday includes
 the following days in each year: the first day of January, known as  New
 Year's  day;  the  third  Monday  of January, known as Dr. Martin Luther
 King, Jr. day; the twelfth day of February, known as Lincoln's birthday;
 the third Monday in February, known as Washington's birthday;  the  last
 Monday  in  May, known as Memorial day; the second Sunday in June, known
 as Flag day; the nineteenth day of June, known as Juneteenth; the fourth
 day of July, known as Independence day; the first Monday  in  September,
 known as Labor day; the second Monday in October, known as Columbus day;
 the  eleventh day of November, known as Veterans' day; the fourth Thurs-
 day in November, known as Thanksgiving day; [and] the  twenty-fifth  day
 of  December, known as Christmas day; AND THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF THE HINDU
 LUNISOLAR MONTH OF KARTIK, KNOWN AS LAKSHMI PUJA, OR THE HINDU  FESTIVAL
 OF  LIGHTS,  and if any of such days except Flag day is Sunday, the next
 day thereafter; each general election day, and each day appointed by the
 president of the United States or by the governor of this state as a day
 of general thanksgiving, general fasting and prayer,  or  other  general
 religious  observances.  The  term half-holiday includes the period from
 noon to midnight of each Saturday which is not a public holiday.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
 ing 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.
                                                            LBD10061-01-1