About AB 2017
AB 2017, introduced by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) on February 17, 2026, adds Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha to California's list of state holidays. In its final form the bill lets school and community college districts close on those dates through union agreements, lets classified staff take them as paid holidays through the same agreements, lets state employees elect Eid holiday credit, and authorizes Eid exercises in public schools with a state model curriculum guide. Courts stay open.
The bill is sponsored by the Muslim Impact Council, CAIR-CA, and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs (CAPIAA). It passed the Assembly 64–1 (May 26), the Senate 30–4 (Aug 30), and a final Assembly concurrence vote 62–3 the same day. It is now being enrolled and sent to Governor Newsom, who has until September 30, 2026 to sign or veto. A veto is the only remaining way to stop it.
Concerns from opponents center on California's traditional neutrality toward specific religious holidays, equal-treatment questions across faiths, and the parts of the final text that got no coverage — see what's actually in the final text below.
Bill Snapshot
- Bill #
- AB 2017
- Session
- 2025–2026 Regular
- Author
- Matt Haney (D — AD 17, SF)
- Title
- State holidays: Eid.
- Introduced
- Feb 17, 2026
- Votes
- Assembly 64–1 · Senate 30–4 · Concurrence 62–3
- Potential cost
- $137.6M K–12 payroll exposure (Legislature’s own per-day estimate × 2)
- Status
- Passed Legislature Aug 30 — awaiting Gov. Newsom (deadline Sept 30)
Potential Taxpayer Cost of AB 2017
Every number below comes from the Legislature’s own fiscal analyses of AB 2017. We only multiplied by two.
How the Legislature’s own numbers produce it
California has not published a final statewide price tag for AB 2017. The Legislature’s own fiscal analyses of the bill show how large the exposure could be if school districts broadly adopt its paid-holiday provision.
In the Senate Appropriations Committee analysis of AB 2017 (August 13, 2026), the California Department of Education reported that K–12 local educational agencies paid $17.78 billion in classified-employee salaries in 2023–24. Assuming 260 unadjusted working days, CDE put the statewide cost of one day of classified pay at approximately $68.8 million. The same CDE figure appears in the Senate’s 2025 analysis of the Diwali holiday law (AB 268), which AB 2017 copies.
AB 2017 authorizes two paid holidays, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, for classified school employees wherever a district’s board agrees in a memorandum of understanding (Education Code 45203). Applying the Legislature’s own method, two statewide paid days represent approximately $137.6 million in K–12 classified payroll exposure.
This is not a claim that AB 2017 will automatically cost taxpayers $137.6 million. Actual costs depend on how many districts negotiate the holidays and whether they add the days or swap them for existing paid days. But the bill’s own Assembly Appropriations analysis (May 6, 2026) calls the cost pressures “unknown, but potentially significant,” notes there are over 900 school districts and 73 community college districts, and warns that when a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday attendance drops around it: “since K-12 public schools are funded by student attendance … this bill could result in reduced school funding.” The Senate analysis adds community-college costs “in the tens to low hundreds of thousands of dollars,” $300,000 to develop the state curriculum guide, and it all lands as the Legislative Analyst’s Office warns of General Fund deficits of around $35 billion a year from 2027–28.
The $137.6 million figure is a transparent exposure calculation built on the Legislature’s $68.8-million-per-day estimate, not a number invented by this site.
Sources
Where the Bill Stands
Every entry is from the official bill history and vote record at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Last verified September 2, 2026.
What's Actually in the Final Text
Plain-language summary of AB 2017 as amended August 27, 2026. Read the official text.
Adds both Eids to the state holiday list
Courts stay open
Schools and community colleges may close, only by union agreement
Paid holidays for classified staff, by the same agreements
State employees may elect Eid holiday credit
Eid exercises in schools, plus a state curriculum guide
No new student excused-absence guarantee
What the coverage missed
Every quote below is verbatim from the August 27, 2026 text. We oppose this bill. Read the quotes and judge for yourself. The complete bill is on our AB 2017 bill text page.
The word “religion” appears zero times
Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are culturally significant … The designation of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as state holidays is a civil calendar determination
Its own findings name attendance money as a purpose
The civil purposes of this act are to … protect public school average daily attendance funding metrics
A blanket holiday instead of individual accommodation
Following the standard established by the U.S. Supreme Court in Groff v. DeJoy (2023) 600 U.S. 447, public employers face significantly heightened legal burdens when reviewing individual accommodation requests.
Paid days for staff, decided in union negotiations
the classified service may be entitled to a paid holiday on … “Eid al-Fitr” … “Eid al-Adha” … if the governing board, pursuant to a memorandum of understanding … agrees to the paid holiday.
The Legislature priced one paid day at $68.8 million
Assuming 260 unadjusted working days, the statewide cost of one day of pay for classified employees of school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and K-12 joint powers authorities is approximately $68.8 million.
Eid exercises in classrooms and a state model curriculum
public schools and educational institutions throughout this state may include exercises, funded through existing resources, exploring the history of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The State Board of Education may adopt a model curriculum guide
Bargaining units pick the date
For those holidays whose dates vary annually, the employee may instead make the election on the dates designated by their group.
Moving dates that depend on the moon
the first day of the month of Shawwal in the Islamic lunar calendar … the 10th day of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah in the Islamic lunar calendar
The student protection sponsors advertised was deleted
This bill would add an absence for purposes of observing “Eid al-Fitr” or “Eid al-Adha” to the list of required excused absences.
Calendar creep
operative only if this bill and AB 2294 are enacted … SB 1394 … AB 1841
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