AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 20, 2026
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
96
CHAPTER 7
Statutes of 2026
[ Approved by Governor March 26, 2026. Filed with Secretary of State March 26, 2026. ]
URGENCY STATUTE
Introduced by Assembly Member Rivas and Senator Limón
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Ahrens, Alanis, Alvarez, Arambula, Ávila Farías, Bains, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Bryan, Calderon, Caloza, Carrillo, Castillo, Chen, Connolly, Davies, DeMaio, Dixon, Elhawary, Ellis, Flora, Fong, Gabriel, Gallagher, Garcia, Gipson, Jeff Gonzalez, Mark González, Hadwick, Haney, Harabedian, Hart, Hoover, Irwin, Jackson, Johnson, Kalra, Krell, Lackey, Lee, Lowenthal, Macedo, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Nguyen, Ortega, Pacheco, Papan, Patel, Patterson, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Ransom, Celeste Rodriguez, Michelle Rodriguez, Rogers, Blanca Rubio, Sanchez, Schiavo, Schultz, Sharp-Collins, Solache, Soria, Stefani, Ta, Tangipa, Valencia, Wallis, Ward, Wicks, Wilson, and Zbur)
February 18, 2026
An act to amend Sections 6700 and 6717 of the Government Code, relating to state holidays, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.
Vote: 2/3 Appropriation: no Fiscal committee: no Local program: no
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST
Existing law designates specific days as holidays in this state, including Cesar Chavez Day on March 31, and requires the Governor to annually proclaim March 31 as Cesar Chavez Day.
This bill would instead designate March 31 as Farmworkers Day and would require the Governor to annually proclaim March 31 as Farmworkers Day.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 6700 of the Government Code is amended to read:
6700.
(a) The holidays in this state are:
(1) Every Sunday.
(2) January 1.
(3) The third Monday in January, known as “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.”
(4) The date corresponding with the second new moon following the winter solstice, or the third new moon following the winter solstice should an intercalary month intervene, known as “Lunar New Year.”
(5) February 12, known as “Lincoln Day.”
(6) The third Monday in February.
(7) March 31, known as “Farmworkers Day.”
(8) April 24, known as “Genocide Remembrance Day.”
(9) The 15th day of the month of Kartik in the Hindu lunar calendar of each year, known as “Diwali.”
(10) The last Monday in May.
(11) June 19, known as “Juneteenth.”
(12) July 4.
(13) The first Monday in September.
(14) September 9, known as “Admission Day.”
(15) The fourth Friday in September, known as “Native American Day.”
(16) The second Monday in October, known as “Columbus Day.”
(17) November 11, known as “Veterans Day.”
(18) December 25.
(19) Good Friday from 12 noon until 3 p.m.
(20) (A) Every day appointed by the President or Governor for a public fast, thanksgiving, or holiday.
(B) Except for the Thursday in November appointed as Thanksgiving Day, this paragraph and paragraphs (3), (4), and (7) shall not apply to a city, county, or district unless made applicable by charter, or by ordinance or resolution of the governing body thereof.
(b) If this section is in conflict with the provisions of a memorandum of understanding reached pursuant to Chapter 12 (commencing with Section 3560) of Division 4 of Title 1, the memorandum of understanding shall be controlling without further legislative action, except that if those provisions of a memorandum of understanding require the expenditure of funds, the provisions shall not become effective unless approved by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act.
SEC. 2.
Section 6717 of the Government Code is amended to read:
6717.
The Governor shall annually proclaim March 31 as “Farmworkers Day.”
SEC. 3.
This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
Due to the proximity of the holiday at issue for the 2026 calendar year, it is necessary for this act to take effect immediately.