NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8676
SPONSOR: Barron TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the executive law, the transportation
law, the vehicle and traffic law, the town law, the county law, the
general construction law and the personal property law, in relation to
changing the designation of the public holiday of Columbus day to
Indigenous People's day
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To replace Columbus Day with Indigenous People's Day
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Columbus did not discover America. Indigenous People's Day reimagines
Columbus Day and changes a celebration of colonialism into an opportu-
nity to reveal historical truths about the genocide and oppression of
indigenous people in the Americas, to organize against current injus-
tices and to celebrate indigenous resistance.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):
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JUSTIFICATION:
Renaming the holiday is a small beginning in recognizing indigenous
people for their historic and ongoing contributions to history, culture
and economic life.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
None
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take place immediately.
