NY State Senate Bill 2021-S151

Senate Bill S151

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Relates to establishing certain cultural and religious observances as school holidays in certain districts

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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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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 05, 2022	referred to education
Jan 06, 2021	referred to education

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2021-S151 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A3442
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§3210 & 3604, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S4038, A6797
2023-2024: S513, A2339
2025-2026: S4670, A6237

2021-S151 (ACTIVE) - Summary

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

2021-S151 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S151         REVISED 04/19/2021

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 section 3210 of the education law section
and adds a new section 3204-a. Section 3204-a allows Eid al-Fitr, Eid
al-Adha, Diwali, and Onam to be considered school holidays in districts
where a considerable portion of students observe such religious or
cultural days.

Section 2 amends section 3604 of the education law and adds a new
subsection 7c. Subsection 7-c allows the commissioner to disregard any
reduction of state funds resulting from observance of these traditional
and religious days and have those holidays calculated as session days if
necessary.

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. When holidays
and festivals fall on school days, parents and teachers must choose
between school absence and not celebrating their cultural or religious
heritage.

In New York there are over one million Muslims, 227,000 practicing
Hindus, 80,000 Sikhs and about two million celebrate Diwali and Onam.
Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Diwali, and Onam are primary festivals for
communities of South Asian descent and are widely celebrated throughout
the state.

This bill would allow children from these communities to forge stronger
bonds with family and friends with the opportunity to learn and appreci-
ate their respective cultural and religious heritage.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2019-20: S.4038 (Thomas) / A.6797 (Solages) - Referred to Education.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

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

2021-S151 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    151
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 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. Paragraph b of subdivision 1 of section 3210 of the  educa-
 tion  law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new subparagraph (iii) to read as
 follows:
   (III) THE FOLLOWING CULTURAL OR RELIGIOUS  HOLIDAYS  SHALL  BE  SCHOOL
 HOLIDAYS  FOR  ANY SCHOOLS OR SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHERE THE BOARD OF EDUCA-
 TION OR TRUSTEES DETERMINES SUCH SCHOOLS OR DISTRICTS HAVE  A  CONSIDER-
 ABLE  PROPORTION  OF  STUDENTS  WHO  OBSERVE SUCH DAYS: EID AL-FITR, EID
 AL-ADHA, DIWALI, AND ONAM.
   § 2. Section 3604 of the education law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 subdivision 8-c to read as follows:
   8-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,  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.
                                                            LBD02364-01-1

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