NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A6698
SPONSOR: Lee TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the general construction law, in relation to declaring
Asian Lunar New Year a public holiday
PURPOSE:
To declare Asian Lunar New Year as a Public Holiday
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one of the bill amends section 24 of the general construction
law to make Asian Lunar New Year a public holiday
Section two of the bill sets forth the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Lunar New Year is widely celebrated among. Asian communities in New York
and an estimated 2 billion people celebrate Lunar New Year globally.
Asian Americans have played a vital role in shaping our nation and our
state, while continuously facing discrimination and violence throughout
U.S. history. By making Lunar New Year a statewide holiday, New York
State will bring recognition to its Asian American community, reaffirm-
ing that Asian Americans are New Yorkers and a part of the fabric of New
York's heritage and history. It will also promote inclusion at a time
when the Asian American community is suffering from the steep rise in
anti-Asian hate and violence over the last several years since the
pandemic.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6698
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 7, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. LEE, COLTON -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the general construction law, in relation to declaring
Asian Lunar New Year 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 first day of the second lunar month after the winter
7 solstice in the preceding calendar year, known as Asian Lunar New Year;
8 the twelfth day of February, known as Lincoln's birthday; the third
9 Monday in February, known as Washington's birthday; the last Monday in
10 May, known as Memorial day; the second Sunday in June, known as Flag
11 day; the nineteenth day of June, known as Juneteenth; the fourth day of
12 July, known as Independence day; the first Monday in September, known as
13 Labor day; the second Monday in October, known as Columbus day; the
14 eleventh day of November, known as Veterans' day; the fourth Thursday in
15 November, known as Thanksgiving day; and the twenty-fifth day of Decem-
16 ber, known as Christmas day, and if any of such days except Flag day is
17 Sunday, the next day thereafter; each general election day, and each day
18 appointed by the president of the United States or by the governor of
19 this state as a day of general thanksgiving, general fasting and prayer,
20 or other general religious observances. The term half-holiday includes
21 the period from noon to midnight of each Saturday which is not a public
22 holiday.
23 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10748-01-5
