Assembly Members Kalra and Patel, joined by a bipartisan group of legislative colleagues, have put forward a measure expressing the Legislature's intent to designate Diwali as an official state holiday in California.

The proposal marks the first step in a legislative process to add Diwali to California's roster of state holidays. While the current bill does not immediately establish the holiday, it lays the groundwork for subsequent legislation that would formalize Diwali's status. Under existing law, California maintains a defined set of official state holidays, which does not include Diwali.

Should future legislation implement this intent, the designation would affect state operations and employee schedules. State offices would close on Diwali, and state employees would receive paid time off, similar to other official state holidays. The measure requires a simple majority vote for passage and carries no direct fiscal impact or appropriations in its current form.