CA Gets A New Paid Holiday: What It Means For You

California is adding Native American Day to its calendar of paid state holidays, setting the stage for state employees to receive another paid day off each September.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1841 on Sept. 25, making Native American Day, observed on the fourth Friday of September, a paid state holiday. Under the law, state employees will be entitled to the paid holiday upon funding by the Legislature.

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The holiday itself is not new. Native American Day first became a state holiday in 1998.

California has celebrated Native American Day for decades as a day recognizing Native American culture, history and contributions to the state. This year marked the 59th annual California Native American Day.

The change does not mean everybody will get another paid day off. Private employers are not required to give employees the day off simply because it is a state holiday.

The change also does not automatically give California students another day off. State law allows public schools to close on Native American Day if a district's governing board agrees to the closure through an agreement with employees. That means school holidays can vary by school district. The law does authorize state employee bargaining units to negotiate for a paid holiday on Native American Day. If teachers' unions negotiate for the day off, then school districts would likely make it a holiday.

Most state-funded public schools, community colleges, and public libraries tend to close on paid state holidays, as does the the DMV, the Employment Development Department, and state courts. City and county municipalities often hew to the state closures schedule as well.

Newsom signed AB 1841 as part of a package of bills advancing tribal priorities. The package included legislation formalizing an apology by the state Legislature and judiciary for historical harms against Native Americans and making the Governor's Office of Tribal Affairs permanent.

Assemblymember James Ramos, D-San Bernardino, authored AB 1841.

Ramos, the first California Native American elected to the state Legislature, said the measure recognizes the role Native communities have played in shaping California's culture and identity.

"AB 1841 recognizes the profound role Native communities have played in shaping the state's culture and identity by setting the foundation for a paid state holiday," Ramos said.

"This California Native American Day, we celebrate the progress toward supporting and protecting Native Americans."