A 3507: Relates to the designation of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, as a public holiday.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3507 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY January 28, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. RAJKUMAR, ANDERSON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations 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: 1 Section 1. Section 24 of the general construction law, as amended by 2 chapter 249 of the laws of 2020, is amended to read as follows: 3 § 24. Public holidays; half-holidays. The term public holiday includes 4 the following days in each year: the first day of January, known as New 5 Year's day; the third Monday of January, known as Dr. Martin Luther 6 King, Jr. day; the twelfth day of February, known as Lincoln's birthday; 7 the third Monday in February, known as Washington's birthday; the last 8 Monday in May, known as Memorial day; the second Sunday in June, known 9 as Flag day; the nineteenth day of June, known as Juneteenth; the fourth 10 day of July, known as Independence day; the first Monday in September, 11 known as Labor day; the second Monday in October, known as Columbus day; 12 the eleventh day of November, known as Veterans' day; the fourth Thurs- 13 day in November, known as Thanksgiving day; [and] the twenty-fifth day 14 of December, known as Christmas day; and the fifteenth day of the Hindu 15 lunisolar month of Kartik, known as Lakshmi Puja, or the Hindu festival 16 of lights, and if any of such days except Flag day is Sunday, the next 17 day thereafter; each general election day, and each day appointed by the 18 president of the United States or by the governor of this state as a day 19 of general thanksgiving, general fasting and prayer, or other general 20 religious observances. The term half-holiday includes the period from 21 noon to midnight of each Saturday which is not a public holiday. 22 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed- 23 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. LBD07420-01-5