Quick read
- AB 2017, Chapter 571, was approved by Governor Gavin Newsom and filed with the Secretary of State on September 27, 2026.
- The bill adds Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha to California's state holiday list, defining them by the Islamic lunar calendar.
- The law does not automatically close courts, state offices, schools, community colleges, local agencies or private businesses.
What happened
California has signed into law AB 2017, a bill that adds Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha to the state's civil holiday calendar.
The official California Legislative Information record lists the measure as AB 2017, Chapter 571, "State holidays: Eid." It says the bill was approved by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 27, 2026, and filed with the Secretary of State the same day.
The claim is therefore confirmed in its core form: California has formally recognized both Eid holidays in state holiday law. But the practical meaning is narrower than a simple "state holiday" headline may suggest.
What is confirmed
The Legislative Counsel's Digest says AB 2017 "would add 'Eid al-Fitr' and 'Eid al-Adha' to the list of state holidays." The bill identifies Eid al-Fitr as the first day of Shawwal in the Islamic lunar calendar and Eid al-Adha as the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah.
The law also updates several parts of California law beyond Government Code Section 6700. It amends judicial-holiday language, public school and community college provisions, and state employee holiday-credit rules.
For state employees, the bill permits an employee to elect holiday credit for Eid al-Fitr or Eid al-Adha under the relevant state personnel provisions. For public schools and community colleges, it authorizes closures on those dates only through local decisionmaking and collective bargaining mechanisms, such as a memorandum of understanding.
The signing was also reflected in current news indexing. Google News listed CAIR's September 28 release welcoming Governor Newsom's signing of the California Eid State Holiday Act, along with follow-up reports from FOX40, Anadolu, Firstpost, Saudi Gazette and other outlets. The CAIR page itself was blocked from background extraction, so the official legislative record is the controlling source here.
What is not confirmed
The law does not mean California automatically shuts down for Eid.
AB 2017's own findings say that inclusion in the state civil holiday calendar "does not, by itself, require the closure of courts, state offices, public schools, community colleges, local agencies, or private businesses."
The bill also expressly excludes Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha from judicial holidays. That matters because California generally treats full days listed in Government Code Section 6700 as judicial holidays, but AB 2017 adds Eid to the list of exceptions.
The law is also not a religious-participation mandate. Its findings describe the designation as a civil calendar determination and say it does not require any person or public institution to participate in a ceremony, event or activity.
Image: Eid al-Fitr community to-go lunch in Cupertino, California — BronzeAlphabet / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Why it matters
The change gives California a statewide civil reference point for two of the most important holidays in the Islamic calendar. Supporters framed the measure as a way to reduce recurring school and workplace conflicts and give families predictable dates for leave, excused absences and calendar planning.
The bill is also written to avoid the most sweeping interpretation of "state holiday." It recognizes the dates in law, but keeps closure decisions tied to existing public employment, school governance and bargaining rules.
That means the immediate legal story is not a blanket day off. It is a recognition-and-accommodation law: a holiday listing, a state employee holiday-credit option, school and community college closure authority, and permission for educational exercises about the history of the holidays.
What to watch next
The next practical question is implementation. Public school districts and community college districts would need to decide locally whether to close on either Eid holiday, and those decisions may depend on bargaining agreements, calendars and attendance patterns.
State personnel agencies and employee groups will also have to administer the holiday-credit provisions, especially because the two Eid dates move each year on the lunar calendar.
NoDechev verdict
CONFIRMED. California has enacted AB 2017, adding Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha to state holiday law. Caveat: the statute does not automatically close courts, state offices, schools, community colleges, local agencies or private businesses.