Ami Bera, Ro Khanna among 19 US lawmakers backing bill to make Diwali a federal holiday

US Representative Grace Meng has reintroduced the Diwali Day Act, a bill to make Diwali a federal holiday in the United States, with the backing of 19 lawmakers.

Indian American Representatives Ami Bera and Ro Khanna are among the supporters, The American Bazaar reported on 10 November.

A federal holiday means that federal government offices close and federal employees get a paid day off. The US now has 11 federal holidays. To add one, a bill must pass both the House of Representatives and the Senate and be signed by the President.

Ms. Meng, a Democrat from New York, first brought the bill in 2023. It did not come to a vote then. Some US states and cities already give a holiday for Diwali; New York City’s public schools close for it.

The bill comes days after Indian Americans made gains in the US midterm elections on 3 November, The American Bazaar also reported.