NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8294
SPONSOR: Fall TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the general construction law, in relation to designating
September eleventh as a public holiday
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To designate 9/11 as a public holiday in the State of New York.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Amends Section 24 of the general construction law, as amended
by chapter 249 of the laws of 2020 to include the eleventh day of
September, known as 9/11 Remembrance Day as a public holiday.
Section 2: Sets the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION§
On September 11, 2001 our state and our nation witnessed a terrible
tragedy and our state and our nation will forever feel the loss of that
day: the loss of life, the loss of our safety.
The 9/11 attacks left 2,977 dead across New York, Washington, D.C. and
Pennsylvania, including 2,753 who died after the planes struck the Twin
Towers, 184 people at the Pentagon, and 40 people who died when Flight
93 crash-landed in Pennsylvania. In addition, more than 4300 survivors
have died of 9/11 health issues since the attacks.
Over 7,000 police officers, firefighters, emts, mothers, fathers,
sisters, brothers, sons, and daughters have lost their lives from the
terrorist attacks. And the impact continues.
According to the World Trade Center Health Program, over 71,000 individ-
uals have been diagnosed with physical and mental health conditions
brought on by exposure to the dust, smoke, debris, and trauma of the
9/11 attacks. To date, over 125000 are registered with the health
program. In addition to first responders, the attacks have left lasting
health impacts on workers in the World Trade Center who evacuated their
workplaces, passersby, residents of the surrounding buildings and volun-
teers who spent time at Ground Zero in the weeks after.
In addition, earlier this year, Governor. Kathy Hochul signed the "9/11
notice act" (Chapter 364 of the Laws of 2023). This bill requires the
New York''State Department of Labor to have businesses with 50 or more
employees who worked in the New York City Disaster Area between Septem-
ber 11, 2001 and July 31, 2002 and is still operating to notify each
person, both currently and formerly employed, of their eligibility for
the September eleventh victim compensation fund and the World Trade
Center health program.
This bill calls for New York State to set aside a special day to pause
and to reflect on the losses of September llth, on the losses that are
still being felt today, and to steel ourselves-together-for the chal-
lenges that lie ahead.
The US Congress has designated September 11th as "Patriot Day" and
recognizes September 11th as a "National Day of Service and Remem-
brance."
With this legislation, New York will go a step further and formally
recognize 9/11 Remembrance Day as a public holiday.
New York lost 343 firefighters on 9/11 when the Towers collapsed and has
lost an equal number since that fateful day to 9/11 related illnesses.
New York lost 23 police officers on 9/11 when the Towers collapsed and
320 since that fateful day to 9/11 related illnesses.
The New York City Detective Endowment Association strongly supports
honoring and remembering those who died that day, those that succumbed
to illness related to their service, and those that suffer the long term
effects of exposure.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be determined
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8294
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
November 27, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. FALL -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the general construction law, in relation to designating
September eleventh 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 last
8 Monday in May, known as Memorial day; the second Sunday in June, known
9 as Flag day; the nineteenth day of June, known as Juneteenth; the fourth
10 day of July, known as Independence day; the first Monday in September,
11 known as Labor day; the eleventh day of September, known as 9/11 Remem-
12 brance day; the second Monday in October, known as Columbus day; the
13 eleventh day of November, known as Veterans' day; the fourth Thursday in
14 November, known as Thanksgiving day; and the twenty-fifth day of Decem-
15 ber, 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. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13684-01-3
