State holidays: Diwali.

Assembly Members Kalra and Patel have put forward legislation to establish Diwali as a recognized state holiday in California, allowing public schools and community colleges to close for the observance while giving state employees the option to take paid time off.

The bill adds Diwali, observed on the 15th day of Kartik in the Hindu lunar calendar, to California's list of state holidays. Public educational institutions may close on Diwali if their governing boards reach memoranda of understanding with employee representatives. State employees can elect to receive eight hours of holiday credit for Diwali in place of their personal holiday credit. The legislation explicitly excludes Diwali from being designated as a judicial holiday, maintaining regular court operations on that day.

For classified employees in public schools and community colleges, the bill permits paid time off for Diwali when authorized through labor agreements. The measure requires any educational programming related to Diwali observances to utilize existing resources rather than new funding. Implementation hinges on formal agreements between governing bodies and employee representatives across affected institutions.