Holidays: other; Diwali; designate as a holiday. Creates new act.
HB 5838 proposes to officially designate Diwali, also known as Deepavali or the Festival of Lights, as a state holiday in Michigan. The bill defines the holiday as occurring on the new moon day of the eighth lunar month according to the Indic pūrṇimānta lunisolar calendar. This change would allow state employees to take time off for the observance, which is celebrated by Hindus and Jains.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Apr 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Apr 21, 2026
Last action Apr 22, 2026
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
4
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Apr 21, 2026
Committee
referred to Committee on Government Operations
lower
Apr 21, 2026
Introduced
introduced by Representative Rep. Sharon MacDonell
lower
1 primary · 28 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Sharon MacDonell
DDemocratic
Co
Alabas Farhat
DDemocratic
Co
Brenda Carter
DDemocratic
Co
Carol Glanville
DDemocratic
Co
Carrie Rheingans
DDemocratic
Co
Cynthia Neeley
DDemocratic
Co
Donavan McKinney
DDemocratic
Co
Dylan Wegela
DDemocratic
Co
Emily Dievendorf
DDemocratic
Co
Erin Byrnes
DDemocratic
Co
Helena Scott
DDemocratic
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