STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5856
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 20, 2023
___________
Introduced by Sens. PARKER, BAILEY, CLEARE -- read twice and ordered
printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Judici-
ary
AN ACT to amend the general construction law and the education law, in
relation to the designation of Good Friday 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 Friday
8 immediately before Easter, known as Good Friday; the last Monday in May,
9 known as Memorial day; the second Sunday in June, known as Flag day; the
10 nineteenth day of June, known as Juneteenth; the fourth day of July,
11 known as Independence day; the first Monday in September, known as Labor
12 day; the second Monday in October, known as Columbus day; the eleventh
13 day of November, known as Veterans' day; the fourth Thursday in Novem-
14 ber, known as Thanksgiving day; and the twenty-fifth day of December,
15 known as Christmas day, and if any of such days except Flag day is
16 Sunday, the next day thereafter; each general election day, and each day
17 appointed by the president of the United States or by the governor of
18 this state as a day of general thanksgiving, general fasting and prayer,
19 or other general religious observances. The term half-holiday includes
20 the period from noon to midnight of each Saturday which is not a public
21 holiday.
22 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 3204-a to
23 read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07442-01-3
S. 5856 2
1 § 3204-a. Good Friday school holiday. 1. The Friday immediately before
2 Easter, commonly known as Good Friday, shall be declared a holiday for
3 all public schools.
4 2. The term "Good Friday" shall replace "Spring Recess" and similar
5 terminology on all public school district calendars and communications
6 that reference Good Friday.
7 § 3. Section 3604 of the education law is amended by adding a new
8 subdivision 7-a to read as follows:
9 7-a. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for purposes of any
10 calculation under subdivision seven or eight of this section, the
11 commissioner shall disregard any reduction resulting from the observance
12 of Good Friday and, if necessary, such observed holiday shall be calcu-
13 lated as a session day.
14 § 4. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
15 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.
