New York S 1160: Establishes Diwali as a statewide school holiday

Bill Text

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S01160 Summary:

BILL NOS01160 

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SAME ASSAME AS A00828

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SPONSORCOONEY

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COSPNSRRAMOS

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MLTSPNSR

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Amd §§3604, 2585-a & 3635Ed L

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Establishes the fifteenth day of the month of Kartika on the Hindu calendar in each year, known as Diwali, as a statewide school holiday.

Go to top S01160 Actions:

BILL NOS01160 

&nbsp

01/08/2025REFERRED TO EDUCATION

01/07/2026REFERRED TO EDUCATION

Go to topS01160 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS01160 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS01160 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 1160

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 January 8, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. COONEY -- 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 Diwali as
 a statewide school holiday

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Subdivision 8 of section 3604 of the education law, as
 2 amended by chapter 359 of the laws of 2023, is amended to read as
 3 follows:
 4 8. No school shall be in session on a Saturday, the first day of the
 5 second lunar month after the winter solstice in the preceding calendar
 6 year known as Asian Lunar New Year, the fifteenth day of the month of
 7 Kartika on the Hindu calendar in each year, known as Diwali, or a legal
 8 holiday, except general election day, Washington's birthday and
 9 Lincoln's birthday, and except that driver education classes may be
 10 conducted on a Saturday. A deficiency not exceeding four days during any
 11 school year caused by teachers' attendance upon conferences held by
 12 superintendents of schools of city school districts or other school
 13 districts employing superintendents of schools shall be excused by the
 14 commissioner, notwithstanding any provision of law, rule or regulation
 15 to the contrary, a school district may elect to schedule such conference
 16 days in the last two weeks of August, subject to collective bargaining
 17 requirements pursuant to article fourteen of the civil service law, and
 18 such days shall be counted towards the required one hundred eighty days
 19 of session, provided however, that such scheduling shall not alter the
 20 obligation of the school district to provide transportation to students
 21 in non-public elementary and secondary schools or charter schools. At
 22 least two such conference days during such school year shall be dedi-
 23 cated to staff attendance upon conferences providing staff development
 24 relating to implementation of the new high learning standards and
 25 assessments, as adopted by the board of regents. Notwithstanding any

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD01032-01-5

 S. 1160 2

 1 other provision of law, rule or regulation to the contrary, school
 2 districts may elect to use one or more of such allowable conference days
 3 in units of not less than one hour each to provide staff development
 4 activities relating to implementation of the new high learning standards
 5 and assessments. A district making such election may provide such staff
 6 development on any day during which sessions are allowed and apply such
 7 units to satisfy a deficiency in the length of one or more daily
 8 sessions of instruction for pupils as specified in regulations of the
 9 commissioner. The commissioner shall assure that such conference days
 10 include appropriate school violence prevention and intervention train-
 11 ing, and may require that up to one such conference day be dedicated for
 12 such purpose.
 13 § 2. Section 2586-a of the education law, as added by chapter 629 of
 14 the laws of 2023, is amended to read as follows:
 15 § 2586-a. Diwali as a holiday in the public schools of the city of New
 16 York. The fifteenth day of the [eighth] month of [the Indian] Kartika on
 17 the Hindu calendar in each year, known as Diwali, is hereby made and
 18 declared to be a holiday in all the public schools in the city school
 19 district in the city of New York and such public schools shall not be in
 20 session