New York Senate Bill S00553

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/8/25
• Refer: 1/8/25
• Engrossed: 2/26/25
• Refer: 2/26/25
• Refer: 1/7/26
• Engrossed: 3/17/26
• Refer: 3/17/26

Caption

Relates to observance of all religious holidays by institutions within the state university and the city university of New York; includes the Asian Lunar New Year within the definition of such holidays.

Summary

S00553 would amend New York education law to expand and clarify religious-holiday accommodation rules for students at SUNY and CUNY institutions. The bill preserves existing protections for students whose religious beliefs prevent them from attending class, taking exams, or meeting study/work requirements on certain days, and it requires colleges to provide equivalent make-up opportunities without charging fees. It also requires institutions to give students written notice of these rights and to act in good faith so that students do not suffer adverse consequences for using the accommodations. The bill adds the Asian Lunar New Year as a protected cultural observance, directing institutions to excuse students for that observance in the same manner as students excused for religious beliefs. It also reinforces existing provisions covering Friday after 4 p.m. and Saturday scheduling, requiring make-up options where practicable. Students who believe an institution has not complied may bring an action in Supreme Court in the county where the institution is located.

Impact

The bill would amend Education Law section 224-a and add a new section 6235, extending and codifying student religious-observance protections for public higher education institutions in New York, including SUNY and CUNY schools. It would require institutions to provide equivalent opportunities to register, attend, test, or complete coursework after an excused absence, prohibit extra fees for make-up work, and mandate written notice of these rights. By expressly including the Asian Lunar New Year, the bill broadens the scope of protected observances beyond traditional religious holidays and creates a clearer statutory basis for accommodations at covered colleges and universities.

Sentiment

The available voting history shows strong, unanimous support in the Senate Higher Education Committee and on the Senate floor, with no recorded opposition in either chamber vote. That pattern suggests broad bipartisan or at least noncontroversial support for the bill’s accommodation-focused approach. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded floor or committee debate to indicate significant public disagreement.

Contention

The main policy issue is the scope of the accommodation mandate and the bill’s explicit inclusion of the Asian Lunar New Year as a cultural observance treated like a religious holiday. Supporters are likely to view this as an equity and access measure for students observing important holidays, while any potential concern would center on administrative burden for colleges, the breadth of the definition of covered observances, and the possibility of litigation if institutions are alleged to have failed to act in good faith. The bill text itself also distinguishes covered institutions from religious schools, which limits its reach and may reduce contention.