--- title: SR 286. Diwali Day; recognize October 20, 2025 collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr286 cite_as: SR 286, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr286 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr286.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr286/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70892 date: 2025-02-27 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr285.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr287.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr286.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 286 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-27 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Shawn Still - Emanuel Jones - Jason Esteves text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR286/2025 upstream_id: 1985914 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Diwali - religious recognition - Georgia Senate resolution - cultural heritage --- # SR 286. Diwali Day; recognize October 20, 2025 ## Text Senate Resolution 286 By: Senators Still of the 48th, Jones of the 10th and Esteves of the 35th A RESOLUTION Recognizing October 20, 2025, as Diwali Day; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Diwali (or Deepavali) is a time for thanksgiving and prayer for health, knowledge, and peace; it is celebrated by over 1 billion people, including millions of Americans and tens of thousands of Georgians, of different cultures and religions worldwide. Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains celebrate this important and ancient festival; and WHEREAS, the festival lasts five days, with the third day marking the day celebrated as "Diwali"; and WHEREAS, Diwali falls on the 15th of the Hindu lunisolar month of Kartik, which aligns with the new moon day of the first month of the lunar year; and WHEREAS, Diwali is a festival that holds deep cultural, religious, and social significance, marking a time of renewal, reflection, and the triumph of positivity in the face of adversity. Diwali is known as a time for dana and seva—the giving of charity and selfless service to our fellow humans; and WHEREAS, during Diwali, celebrants light small oil lamps, place them around the home, and pray for health, knowledge, and peace; Diwali serves as a reminder of the importance of compassion, generosity, and the pursuit of knowledge in building harmonious societies; and WHEREAS, Georgia has long been a place that welcomes, honors, and supports the diverse array of practices, beliefs, and traditions among its citizens. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize October 20, 2025, as Diwali Day. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the press. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia Senate resolution recognizes October 20, 2025, as Diwali Day, honoring the festival celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains across the state. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia Senate formally recognizes October 20, 2025, as Diwali Day. Diwali, also called Deepavali, is a five day festival celebrated by more than a billion people worldwide, including many Georgians, across Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, and Jain traditions. The resolution describes the festival's meaning, including themes of charity, selfless service, compassion, and the pursuit of knowledge, and notes that celebrants light oil lamps and pray for health, knowledge, and peace. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. It simply states the Senate's recognition of the day and directs the Secretary of the Senate to make copies available to the public and the press. ### What it does - Formally recognizes October 20, 2025, as Diwali Day through a Georgia Senate resolution. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare copies of the resolution for distribution to the public and the press. - Contains no changes to Georgia statutes, funding, or penalties, since it is a symbolic resolution rather than a law. ### Who it affects The resolution touches Georgians who celebrate Diwali, including Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, and Jain communities, and serves as a public statement of recognition from the Georgia Senate rather than a legal mandate on any group. ### Why it matters Because this is a symbolic resolution, it creates no new legal obligations or funding. Its practical effect is a public, official acknowledgment from the Georgia Senate of Diwali's significance to the state's Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, and Jain communities. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe Diwali's cultural and religious significance, including its five day duration and connection to the Hindu lunisolar calendar. - The resolved clause formally recognizes October 20, 2025, as Diwali Day in Georgia. - A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-27) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-02-27) - Sponsors: Shawn Still, Emanuel Jones, Jason Esteves - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70892 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr286.md?full=1