Assembly Bill 2017, which would designate Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as official California state holidays, is awaiting a final Senate vote before the legislative session ends this week. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) and co-authored by Sen. Aisha Wahab, cleared the Assembly in a 64-1 vote in late May and has since moved through Senate committee review.
If signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the legislation would allow state workers to use existing paid leave to observe the two Islamic holy days. Public schools and community colleges could also choose to close for the observances under agreements with employee unions. The measure creates a mandatory excused-absence category for students who miss school to celebrate Eid.
What the Right Is Saying
The legislation has drawn opposition from some religious and family advocacy groups. Greg Burt, vice president of the California Family Council, has raised concerns about a provision authorizing the State Board of Education to develop optional curriculum for classroom activities marking the holidays. Burt told Fox News Digital that the bill amounts to schools "encouraging the celebration of a religious holiday," arguing it crosses the line from teaching about religion into promoting it.
The California Family Council, which says it represents thousands of constituents and more than 2,000 churches statewide, has also questioned where the state would draw the line on recognizing additional religious holidays. Critics have asked whether similar accommodations would be extended to other faith communities and what criteria would guide future expansions of the holiday calendar.
What the Left Is Saying
Haney, who introduced the legislation in March during Ramadan, has framed the bill as an issue of inclusion for California's approximately 500,000 Muslim residents. "California is home to one of the largest and most vibrant Muslim communities in the country," Haney said in a press release announcing the bill. "AB 2017 is about making sure Muslim Californians are seen, valued, and treated with the same dignity as every other community in our state."
Supporters argue the measure mirrors recent legislative efforts to recognize other cultural and religious holidays. If enacted, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha would join Diwali and Lunar New Year among community-specific holidays California has formally recognized in recent years. Advocates contend that allowing excused absences and flexible scheduling addresses an existing gap in state policy without mandating school closures or additional paid time off.
What the Numbers Show
California is home to an estimated 500,000 Muslim residents, representing approximately 1.3 percent of the state's population of roughly 39 million, according to demographic estimates. The Assembly passed AB 2017 by a vote of 64-1 in late May, indicating broad bipartisan support for the measure.
Both Eid holidays follow the Islamic lunar calendar, meaning their dates shift each year on the Western Gregorian calendar. Eid al-Fitr falls at the end of Ramadan, the month during which observant Muslims abstain from food and drink between dawn and sunset. Eid al-Adha commemorates the Quranic account of the prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son at God's command.
The Bottom Line
The Senate vote expected before the session ends this week will determine whether AB 2017 reaches Gov. Newsom's desk. If signed into law, California would become one of a small number of states to formally recognize Islamic holidays on its official calendar. Because both holidays are moveable dates tied to the lunar calendar, state agencies and schools would need to announce specific observance dates annually. The outcome could set a precedent for similar efforts in other states with significant Muslim populations.