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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6652
January Session, 2021
LCO No. 5583
Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
AND ELECTIONS
Introduced by:
(GAE)
AN ACT DESIGNATING VARIOUS DAYS, WEEKS A ND MONTHS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 10-29a of the general statutes is 1
amended by adding subdivisions (98) to (101), inclusive, as follows 2
(Effective from passage): 3
(NEW) (98) The Governor shall proclaim the second Sunday of June 4
annually to be Connecticut Race Amity Day to reflect and affirm the 5
dignity of the diverse racial, cultural and religious backgrounds of the 6
residents of the state. Suitable exercises may be held in the State Capitol 7
and elsewhere as the Governor designates for the observance of the day. 8
(NEW) (99) The Governor shall proclaim the month of September 9
annually to be Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month, to raise public 10
awareness of the associated presentation and available treatments for 11
brain aneurysms. Suitable exercises may be held in the State Capitol and 12
elsewhere as the Governor designates for the observance of the month. 13
(NEW) (100) The Governor shall proclaim May thirteenth of each 14 Raised Bill No. 6652
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year to be Xeroderma Pigmentosum Awareness Day, to raise awareness 15
of this genetic disorder characterized by an extreme sensitivity to 16
ultraviolet rays. Suitable exercises may be held in the State Capitol and 17
elsewhere as the Governor designates for the observance of the day. 18
(NEW) (101) The Governor shall proclaim the second week of 19
February of each year to be Kindness Week to promote acts of kindness 20
among the residents of the state. Suitable exercises may be held in the 21
State Capitol and elsewhere as the Governor designates for the 22
observance of the week. 23
Sec. 2. Subdivision (96) of subsection (a) of section 10-29a of the 24
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 25
thereof (Effective October 1, 2021): 26
(96) The Governor shall proclaim the week of April sixteenth of each 27
year to be Advance Directive Awareness [Day] Week to raise public 28
awareness of the importance of planning ahead for health care decisions 29
and to encourage the use of advance directives. Suitable exercises may 30
be held in the State Capitol and elsewhere as the Governor designates 31
for the observance of the [day] week. 32
Sec. 3. Section 1-4 of the general statutes is repealed and the following 33
is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2021): 34
In each year the first day of January (known as New Year's Day), the 35
fifteenth day of January of each year prior to 1986, and commencing on 36
the twentieth day of January in 1986, the first Monday occurring on or 37
after January fifteenth (known as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), the 38
twelfth day of February (known as Lincoln Day), the third Monday in 39
February (known as Washington's Birthday), the last Monday in May 40
(known as Memorial Day or Decoration Day), the fourth day of July 41
(known as Independence Day), the first Monday in September (known 42
as Labor Day), the second Monday in October (known as [Columbus] 43
Indigenous Peoples' Day), the eleventh day of November (known as 44
Veterans' Day) and the twenty-fifth day of December (known as 45
Christmas) and any day appointed or recommended by the Governor of 46 Raised Bill No. 6652
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this state or the President of the United States as a day of thanksgiving, 47
fasting or religious observance, shall each be a legal holiday, except that 48
whenever any of such days which are not designated to occur on 49
Monday, occurs upon a Sunday, the Monday next following such day 50
shall be a legal holiday and whenever any of such days occurs upon a 51
Saturday, the Friday immediately preceding such day shall be a legal 52
holiday. When any such holiday, except holidays in January and 53
December, occurs on a school day, each local and regional board of 54
education may close the public schools under its jurisdiction for such 55
day or hold a session of the public schools on such day, provided, if a 56
session is held, the board shall require each school to hold a suitable 57
nonsectarian educational program in observance of such holiday. If a 58
holiday in January or December occurs on a school day, there shall be 59
no session of the public schools on such day. 60
Sec. 4. Subdivision (13) of subsection (a) of section 10-29a of the 61
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 62
thereof (Effective October 1, 2021): 63
(13) The Governor shall proclaim the second Monday in October of 64
each year to be [Columbus] Indigenous Peoples' Day. Suitable exercises 65
shall be held in the public schools, having reference to the historical 66
events connected therewith, [and in commemoration of the Italian 67
people, their culture and the great contribution they have made to this 68
country,] such exercises to be held during the week within which 69
[Columbus] Indigenous Peoples' Day occurs or on such other day as the 70
local or regional board of education prescribes. 71
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage 10-29a(a)
Sec. 2 October 1, 2021 10-29a(a)(96)
Sec. 3 October 1, 2021 1-4
Sec. 4 October 1, 2021 10-29a(a)(13)
Raised Bill No. 6652
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Statement of Purpose:
To designate various days, weeks and months and rename the
Columbus Day holiday.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]