Senate Bill No. 616

Introduced by Senators Huff and Nguyen

(Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Kim and Wilk)

(Coauthors: Senators Bates, Cannella, Hall, Nielsen, and Vidak)

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Chang, Dodd, Maienschein, and Waldron)

February 27, 2015

An act to add Section 37222.19 to the Education Code, relating to public schools.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 616, as introduced, Huff. Public schools: Asian Lunar New Year’s Day.

Existing law designates particular days each year as having special significance, and encourages all public schools and educational institutions to observe those days and to conduct suitable commemorative exercises on those days.

This bill would express legislative findings and declarations relating to the Asian Lunar New Year. The bill would designate the date corresponding with the start of the Asian lunar calendar each year as Asian Lunar New Year’s Day, a day having special significance. The bill would also encourage all public schools and educational institutions to conduct exercises observing the Asian Lunar New Year with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

(a) February 19, 2015, will mark the beginning of the Asian
Lunar New Year, which is celebrated in many Asian communities
around the world, including the United States, and especially
California.

(b) California is home to over six million Asian and Pacific
Islander Americans of Bangladeshi, Cambodian, Chinese, Filipino,
Hmong, Indian, Indonesian, Iu-Mien, Japanese, Korean, Laotian,
Malaysian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese
descent.

(c) The Asian and Pacific Islander American community has
contributed to the social, cultural, civic, economic, and academic
success of California.

(d) The Asian Lunar New Year is predominantly celebrated by
the over 2.5 million Californians of Chinese, Korean, and
Vietnamese descent, and is a time of feasting and the renewing of
family ties.

SEC. 2.  

Section 37222.19 is added to the Education Code, to
read:

37222.19.  

(a) Each year, the date corresponding with the start
of the Asian lunar calendar is designated and set apart as Asian
Lunar New Year’s Day, a day having special significance pursuant
to Section 37222.

(b) On Asian Lunar New Year’s Day, all public schools and
educational institutions are encouraged to conduct exercises
observing the Asian Lunar New Year with appropriate ceremonies,
activities, and programs.