H-0135.1

HOUSE BILL 1016

ByRepresentatives Morgan, Lovick, Ryu, Wicks, Ortiz-Self, Berry, Leavitt, J. Johnson, Kloba, Shewmake, Simmons, Bateman, Lekanoff, Duerr, Fitzgibbon, Chopp, Slatter, Ramos, Ramel, Peterson, Gregerson, Valdez, Callan, Young, Hackney, Cody, Ormsby, Riccelli, Rude, Stonier, Fey, Frame, Santos, Macri, Taylor, Davis, Pollet, Bergquist, and Harris-Talley

AN ACT Relating to making Juneteenth a legal holiday; amending RCW 1.16.050; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

The legislature also finds that June 19th has been celebrated in smaller communities across the nation as Juneteenth. Also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day, Juneteenth is a holiday that celebrates the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States. Although this day has special significance for Black/African Americans in the state of Washington, the historical and continued harms of slavery and the rejoicing of the end of this atrocity should be acknowledged and celebrated by all Washingtonians.

The legislature intends to designate Juneteenth as a state legal holiday to celebrate the end of chattel slavery. The legislature encourages that this be a day to engage in fellowship with Black/African Americans; revisit our solidarity and commitment to antiracism; educate ourselves about slave history; and continue having conversations that uplift every Washingtonian.

Sec. 2. RCW 1.16.050 and 2020 c 74 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The following are state legal holidays:

(a) Sunday;

(b) The first day of January, commonly called New Year's Day;

(c) The third Monday of January, celebrated as the anniversary of the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr.;

(d) The third Monday of February, to be known as Presidents' Day and celebrated as the anniversary of the births of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington;

(e) The last Monday of May, commonly known as Memorial Day;

(f) The nineteenth day of June, recognized as Juneteenth, a day of remembrance for the day the African slaves learned of their freedom;

(g) The fourth day of July, the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence;

(((g)))(h) The first Monday in September, to be known as Labor Day;

(((h)))(i) The eleventh day of November, to be known as Veterans' Day;

(((i)))(j) The fourth Thursday in November, to be known as Thanksgiving Day;

(((j)))(k) The Friday immediately following the fourth Thursday in November, to be known as Native American Heritage Day; and

(((k)))(l) The twenty-fifth day of December, commonly called Christmas Day.

(2) Employees of the state and its political subdivisions, except employees of school districts and except those nonclassified employees of institutions of higher education who hold appointments or are employed under contracts to perform services for periods of less than twelve consecutive months, are entitled to one paid holiday per calendar year in addition to those specified in this section. Each employee of the state or its political subdivisions may select the day on which the employee desires to take the additional holiday provided for in this section after consultation with the employer pursuant to guidelines to be promulgated by rule of the appropriate personnel authority, or in the case of local government by ordinance or resolution of the legislative authority.

(3) Employees of the state and its political subdivisions, including employees of school districts and those nonclassified employees of institutions of higher education who hold appointments or are employed under contracts to perform services for periods of less than twelve consecutive months, are entitled to two unpaid holidays per calendar year for a reason of faith or conscience or an organized activity conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious organization. This includes employees of public institutions of higher education, including community colleges, technical colleges, and workforce training programs. The employee may select the days on which the employee desires to take the two unpaid holidays after consultation with the employer pursuant to guidelines to be promulgated by rule of the appropriate personnel authority, or in the case of local government by ordinance or resolution of the legislative authority. If an employee prefers to take the two unpaid holidays on specific days for a reason of faith or conscience, or an organized activity conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious organization, the employer must allow the employee to do so unless the employee's absence would impose an undue hardship on the employer or the employee is necessary to maintain public safety. Undue hardship shall have the meaning established in rule by the office of financial management under RCW 43.41.109.

(4) If any of the state legal holidays specified in this section are also federal legal holidays but observed on different dates, only the state legal holidays are recognized as a paid legal holiday for employees of the state and its political subdivisions. However, for port districts and the law enforcement and public transit employees of municipal corporations, either the federal or the state legal holiday is recognized as a paid legal holiday, but in no case may both holidays be recognized as a paid legal holiday for employees.

(5) Whenever any state legal holiday:

(a) Other than Sunday, falls upon a Sunday, the following Monday is the legal holiday; or

(b) Falls upon a Saturday, the preceding Friday is the legal holiday.

(6) Nothing in this section may be construed to have the effect of adding or deleting the number of paid holidays provided for in an agreement between employees and employers of political subdivisions of the state or as established by ordinance or resolution of the local government legislative authority.

(7) The legislature declares that the following days are recognized as provided in this subsection, but may not be considered legal holidays for any purpose:

(a) The thirteenth day of January, recognized as Korean-American day;

(b) The twelfth day of October, recognized as Columbus day;

(c) The ninth day of April, recognized as former prisoner of war recognition day;

(d) The twenty-sixth day of January, recognized as Washington army and air national guard day;

(e) The seventh day of August, recognized as purple heart recipient recognition day;

(f) The second Sunday in October, recognized as Washington state children's day;

(g) The sixteenth day of April, recognized as Mother Joseph day;

(h) The fourth day of September, recognized as Marcus Whitman day;

(i) The seventh day of December, recognized as Pearl Harbor remembrance day;

(j) The twenty-seventh day of July, recognized as national Korean war veterans armistice day;

(k) The nineteenth day of February, recognized as civil liberties day of remembrance;

(l) ((The nineteenth day of June, recognized as Juneteenth, a day of remembrance for the day the slaves learned of their freedom;

(m))) The thirtieth day of March, recognized as welcome home Vietnam veterans day;

(((n)))(m) The eleventh day of January, recognized as human trafficking awareness day;

(((o)))(n) The thirty-first day of March, recognized as Cesar Chavez day;

(((p)))(o) The tenth day of April, recognized as Dolores Huerta day;

(((q)))(p) The fourth Saturday of September, recognized as public lands day; and

(((r)))(q) The eighteenth day of December, recognized as blood donor day.

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