Senate Bill S513B

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S513

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.
Hid alLFitr, 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:

2021-22: S.151 (Thomas) / A.3442 (Solages) - Referred to Education.

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.

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S513A

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 update school holiday policies so that
students from different religious and cultural backgrounds are able to
celebrate 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, Tihar, Bandi Chhor Divas  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 made up of communities of various
religious and cultural  backgrounds.  It  is  estimated  that  over  one
million  people  in  New  York are Muslim, eighty thousand are Sikh, and
hundreds of thousands  celebrate  Diwali  and  Onam.  Eid  al-Fitr,  Eid
al-Adha,  Diwali,  Tihar,  Bandi  Chhor  Divas,  and  Onam  are  primary
festivals for these communities and are celebrated throughout the state.
These holidays also serve as a  means  for  community  building  through
which  traditions  and  cultures are handed down to the next generation.
When these holidays fall on  school  days,  parents  and  teachers  must
choose  between  school  absence  and  not celebrating their cultural or
religious heritage.

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

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-22: S.151 (Thomas) / A.3442 (Solages) - Referred to Education.

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.