S4550

An Act concerning religious holiday leave for State and certain local government employees and amending and supplementing P.L.2008, c.89.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 25 of P.L.2008, c.89 (C.11A:6-24.1) is amended to read as follows:

25. a. Paid holidays granted to all State government employees each calendar year shall be limited to the following:

(1) January 1, known as New Year's Day;

(2) the third Monday in January, known as Martin Luther King's Birthday;

(3) the third Monday in February, known as Washington's Birthday, which shall be known and celebrated as Presidents Day in this State;

(4) the day designated and known as Good Friday, or if a State government employee elects to work on Good Friday, the employee may be granted one other religious holiday in the same calendar year, selected from a list of pre-approved religious holidays established by the Civil Service Commission and substantially similar to the list of observable religious holidays established by the Commissioner of Education pursuant to N.J.S.18A:36-16, and in compliance with the rules, regulations, and administrative processes established by the Civil Service Commission pursuant section 2 of to P.L. , c. (C. )(pending before the Legislature as this bill);

(5) the last Monday in May, known as Memorial Day;

(6) the third Friday in June, Juneteenth Day;

(7) July 4, known as Independence Day;

(8) the first Monday in September, known as Labor Day;

(9) the second Monday in October, known as Columbus Day;

(10) November 11, known as Armistice Day or Veterans' Day;

(11) the fourth Thursday in November, known as Thanksgiving Day;

(12) December 25, known as Christmas Day; and

(13) any general election day in this State.

b. The provisions of this section shall not impair any collective bargaining agreement or contract in effect on the effective date of P.L.2008, c.89. The provision of this section shall take effect in the calendar year following the expiration of the collective bargaining agreements or contracts covering a majority of the Executive Branch employees in effect on the effective date of P.L.2008, c.89.

(cf: P.L.2020, c.76, s.1)

2. (New section) The Civil Service Commission shall promulgate, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations and establish administrative processes for the implementation of State government employees electing to work on Good Friday in exchange for religious holiday leave to be used during the same calendar year on the day of another pre-approved religious holiday pursuant to P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill). The rules, regulations, and administrative processes shall include, but need not be limited to:

(1) providing that employees of political subdivisions of the State shall be eligible to exchange religious holiday leave;

(2) providing that employees of schools or school districts shall not be eligible to exchange religious holiday leave; and

(3) requiring that eligible employees interested in exchanging religious holiday leave shall notify their respective employers by January 1 of the calendar year in which the holiday leave shall be used and that, should the employee fail to notify their employer by that date, the religious holiday leave shall be used on Good Friday.

3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill permits State government employees, and certain local government employees, to work on the day known as Good Friday in exchange for religious holiday leave to be used during the same calendar year on the day of another religious holiday. The bill directs the Civil Service Commission to create a list of acceptable holidays for this purpose. Under the bill, the list created by the Civil Service Commission will be based upon the annual list of observable religious holidays created by the Commissioner of Education pursuant to current law.

The bill directs the commission to promulgate rules, regulations, and administrative procedures to implement its provisions, which would include, but need not be limited to: providing that employees of political subdivisions are eligible to exchange religious holiday leave; employees of schools or school districts are not eligible to exchange religious holiday leave; eligible employees must notify their employers by January 1 of the calendar year in which the holiday leave will be used and if the employee fails to notify their employer, the religious holiday leave will default to Good Friday.