A measure to grant state judicial branch employees the first-ever paid state holiday on California Native American Day will head to Gov. Gavin Newsom after the Assembly concurred in Senate amendments on a 73-0 bipartisan vote on Thursday.

The bill, AB 855, was introduced by Assemblyman James C. Ramos (D-Highland), a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe and the first California Native American lawmaker elected in state history.

Judiciary employee holidays are set in the Code of Civil Procedure and a change requires legislation. Other state employees are covered in the Government Code.

AB 855 amends the Code of Civil Procedure to recognize California Native American Day as a judicial holiday to provide proper recognition for the state’s First People and celebrate their history.

It does not create an additional paid holiday for court personnel because Columbus Day would be exchanged for another state holiday, California Native American Day, which is celebrated on the fourth Friday in September.

Court personnel are currently the only state workers receiving the existing Oct. 12 holiday as a paid day off.

The Judicial Council, a sponsor of the proposal, voted in January to seek authority to ensure California Native American Day is designated as a paid holiday for court employees.

AB 855 is sponsored by the Judicial Council of California. It is also supported by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations, California Tribal Business Alliance and the Nashville-Enterprise Miwok-Maidu-Nishinam Tribal Council.

Legislative co-authors are Assemblymembers Ed Chau (D-Monterey Park), Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), Chris Holden (D-Pasadena), Ash Karla (D-San Jose), Elosise Gómez Reyes (D-San Bernardino) and Senators Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys), John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) and Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco).