California has formally recognized Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Adha under state law, adding the two Islamic festivals to the state’s list of holidays. Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2017 on September 27, and California filed the legislation with the Secretary of State the same day.
The law allows eligible state employees to use eight hours of existing vacation, annual leave, compensating time off or personal holiday credit to observe Eid ul Fitr or Eid ul Adha, subject to the conditions established by the legislation. It does not create two additional paid holidays for all California workers.
The legislation also allows public schools and community colleges to close for Eid when local authorities approve such arrangements. It further removes both Islamic festivals from California’s list of judicial holidays.
Assemblymember Matt Haney, who authored the legislation, said California has one of the largest Muslim communities in the United States and that the state should recognize its religious traditions.
The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA), which supported the bill, welcomed the legislation and said it would make it easier for Muslim students and employees to observe Eid while meeting their school and workplace commitments.
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