California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said on Sunday that he signed AB 2017, which recognizes Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as statewide holidays to make it easier for eligible state employees to observe the Muslim holidays and to permit schools and community colleges to close on those days via locally negotiated agreements.
The designation does not require statewide closures or create additional paid days off for all state employees. Courts will remain open on those days.
Meanwhile, Jewish holidays, including the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, have yet to be added to the state’s official roster of holidays. Newsom has until Wednesday to sign or veto other bills that specify Jewish holidays and protections.
“We sponsored AB 395, which codifies Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Passover in California state law for the first time, alongside Eid, Diwali and other prominent holidays,” David Bocarsly, CEO of Jewish California, told JNS.
The bill “requires government bodies, K-12 schools and public universities to make every reasonable effort to avoid scheduling major events on those days,” Bocarsly said. “We also sponsored AB 1763, which guarantees K-12 students an excused absence for religious holidays.”
“Both bills are currently on the governor’s desk, and he has until tomorrow to sign or veto them,” he told JNS on Tuesday.
AB 2017, the one that the Democratic governor signed, “puts Eid alongside Lunar New Year, Diwali, Genocide Remembrance Day, Admission Day and Columbus Day as state holidays,” Bocarsly told JNS.
“It is largely symbolic, with the primary impact that students and state employees who observe can be excused to take those days off,” he said. “Employees would still need to use vacation days. AB 1763 already addresses that for every Jewish holiday and all religious holidays.”
Bocarsly said the goal of such legislation “isn’t parity for its own sake, but ensuring that our community, and others, can fully participate in public life without having to choose between their faith and their civic or academic obligations.”
Other recognized holidays in the California Code of Civil Procedure, as amended, include a date on the Gregorian calendar. The two Muslim holidays, however, are recognized with their dates on the Islamic lunar calendar.
Though different Muslim communities celebrate the holidays on separate lunar calendar dates, the provisions allow for flexibility, stating that “for those holidays whose dates vary annually, the employee may instead make the election on the dates designated by their group.”
Matt Haney, a member of the California state assembly, authored the bill, which Council on American-Islamic Relations-California, the Muslim Impact Council, and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs co-sponsored. (CAIR blamed Israel for being attacked on Oct. 7, 2023, and the Biden administration removed the organization, after initially including it in an advisory role, from its national strategy on Jew-hatred.)
Asked about the legislation, a Newsom spokeswoman referred JNS to an announcement on multiple bills, including AB 2017. The legislature determines which bills will advance and reach the governor, the spokeswoman said.
California lawmakers previously considered similar legislation for Yom Kippur in 2017, but it failed in committee.
A separate measure passed by the legislature this year, AB 395, addresses scheduling conflicts with religious holidays, including Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Passover.
It would require state agencies to make good-faith, reasonable efforts to avoid scheduling functions on those dates and establish protections for school and college calendars.
