Kimchi day

AN ACT Relating to designating kimchi day; amending RCW 1.16.050; 1
and creating a new section. 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that kimchi is a 4
traditional Korean dish with a long, rich history beginning over 5
2,000 years ago during the time of the three kingdoms of Korea. 6
"Kimjang," the process by which kimchi is prepared, has been 7
recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity by the 8
United Nations educational, scientific, and cultural organization. 9
Kimchi is found for sale across the United States at major retailers 10
and is becoming an international staple as an excellent source of 11
probiotics, filate, beta-carotene, choline, potassium, calcium, and 12
vitamins A, C, and K, many of which contribute to lower rates of 13
stroke, cancer, and diabetes. The legislature further finds that 14
South Korea celebrates "national kimchi day" on November 22nd, 15
representing the 11 major ingredients and 22 health benefits of the 16
dish. The states of California, Virginia, and Hawaii also recognize 17
this day. The legislature intends to join these governments by 18
recognizing November 22nd of each year as "kimchi day."19
H-0159.1
HOUSE BILL 1017
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Ryu, Mena, Leavitt, Berry, Morgan, Reed, Cortes,
Tharinger, Ortiz-Self, Simmons, Peterson, Duerr, Gregerson, Berg,
Ormsby, Scott, Reeves, Donaghy, and Hill
Prefiled 12/09/24. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee
on State Government & Tribal Relations.
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Sec. 2. RCW 1.16.050 and 2024 c 76 s 3 are each amended to read 1
as follows: 2
(1) The following are state legal holidays: 3
(a) Sunday; 4
(b) The first day of January, commonly called New Year's Day;5
(c) The third Monday of January, celebrated as the anniversary of 6
the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr.; 7
(d) The third Monday of February, to be known as Presidents' Day 8
and celebrated as the anniversary of the births of Abraham Lincoln 9
and George Washington; 10
(e) The last Monday of May, commonly known as Memorial Day;11
(f) The nineteenth day of June, recognized as Juneteenth, a day 12
of remembrance for the day the African slaves learned of their 13
freedom; 14
(g) The fourth day of July, the anniversary of the Declaration of 15
Independence; 16
(h) The first Monday in September, to be known as Labor Day;17
(i) The eleventh day of November, to be known as Veterans Day;18
(j) The fourth Thursday in November, to be known as Thanksgiving 19
Day; 20
(k) The Friday immediately following the fourth Thursday in 21
November, to be known as Native American Heritage Day; and22
(l) The twenty-fifth day of December, commonly called Christmas 23
Day. 24
(2) Employees of the state and its political subdivisions, except 25
employees of school districts and except those nonclassified 26
employees of institutions of higher education who hold appointments 27
or are employed under contracts to perform services for periods of 28
less than twelve consecutive months, are entitled to one paid holiday 29
per calendar year in addition to those specified in this section. 30
Each employee of the state or its political subdivisions may select 31
the day on which the employee desires to take the additional holiday 32
provided for in this section after consultation with the employer 33
pursuant to guidelines to be promulgated by rule of the appropriate 34
personnel authority, or in the case of local government by ordinance 35
or resolution of the legislative authority. 36
(3) Employees of the state and its political subdivisions, 37
including employees of school districts and those nonclassified 38
employees of institutions of higher education who hold appointments 39
or are employed under contracts to perform services for periods of 40
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less than twelve consecutive months, are entitled to two unpaid 1
holidays per calendar year for a reason of faith or conscience or an 2
organized activity conducted under the auspices of a religious 3
denomination, church, or religious organization. This includes 4
employees of public institutions of higher education, including 5
community colleges, technical colleges, and workforce training 6
programs. The employee may select the days on which the employee 7
desires to take the two unpaid holidays after consultation with the 8
employer pursuant to guidelines to be promulgated by rule of the 9
appropriate personnel authority, or in the case of local government 10
by ordinance or resolution of the legislative authority. If an 11
employee prefers to take the two unpaid holidays on specific days for 12
a reason of faith or conscience, or an organized activity conducted 13
under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious 14
organization, the employer must allow the employee to do so unless 15
the employee's absence would impose an undue hardship on the employer 16
or the employee is necessary to maintain public safety. Undue 17
hardship shall have the meaning established in rule by the office of 18
financial management under RCW 43.41.109. 19
(4) If any of the state legal holidays specified in this section 20
are also federal legal holidays but observed on different dates, only 21
the state legal holidays are recognized as a paid legal holiday for 22
employees of the state and its political subdivisions. However, for 23
port districts and the law enforcement and public transit employees 24
of municipal corporations, either the federal or the state legal 25
holiday is recognized as a paid legal holiday, but in no case may 26
both holidays be recognized as a paid legal holiday for employees.27
(5) Whenever any state legal holiday: 28
(a) Other than Sunday, falls upon a Sunday, the following Monday 29
is the legal holiday; or 30
(b) Falls upon a Saturday, the preceding Friday is the legal 31
holiday. 32
(6) Nothing in this section may be construed to have the effect 33
of adding or deleting the number of paid holidays provided for in an 34
agreement between employees and employers of political subdivisions 35
of the state or as established by ordinance or resolution of the 36
local government legislative authority. 37
(7) The legislature declares that the following days are 38
recognized as provided in this subsection, but may not be considered 39
legal holidays for any purpose: 40
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(a) The thirteenth day of January, recognized as Korean-American 1
day; 2
(b) The twelfth day of October, recognized as Columbus day;3
(c) The ninth day of April, recognized as former prisoner of war 4
recognition day; 5
(d) The twenty-sixth day of January, recognized as Washington 6
army and air national guard day; 7
(e) The seventh day of August, recognized as purple heart 8
recipient recognition day; 9
(f) The second Sunday in October, recognized as Washington state 10
children's day; 11
(g) The sixteenth day of April, recognized as Mother Joseph day;12
(h) The fourth day of September, recognized as Marcus Whitman 13
day; 14
(i) The seventh day of December, recognized as Pearl Harbor 15
remembrance day; 16
(j) The twenty-seventh day of July, recognized as national Korean 17
war veterans armistice day; 18
(k) The nineteenth day of February, recognized as civil liberties 19
day of remembrance; 20
(l) The thirtieth day of March, recognized as welcome home 21
Vietnam veterans day; 22
(m) The eleventh day of January, recognized as human trafficking 23
awareness day; 24
(n) The thirty-first day of March, recognized as Cesar Chavez 25
day; 26
(o) The tenth day of April, recognized as Dolores Huerta day;27
(p) The fourth Saturday of September, recognized as public lands 28
day; 29
(q) The eighteenth day of December, recognized as blood donor 30
day; 31
(r) The fifteenth day of May, recognized as water safety day;32
(s) The ninth day of March, recognized as Billy Frank Jr. day; 33
((and))34
(t) The date corresponding with the second new moon following the 35
winter solstice, or the third new moon following the winter solstice 36
should an intercalary month intervene, recognized as the lunar new 37
year; and38
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(u) The twenty-second day of November, recognized as kimchi day.1
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