HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 1017
As Reported by House Committee On:
State Government & Tribal Relations
Title: An act relating to designating kimchi day.
Brief Description: Designating kimchi day.
Sponsors: Representatives Ryu, Mena, Leavitt, Berry, Morgan, Reed, Cortes, Tharinger, Ortiz-Self, Simmons, Peterson, Duerr, Gregerson, Berg, Ormsby, Scott, Reeves, Donaghy and Hill.
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
State Government & Tribal Relations: 1/14/25, 1/17/25 [DP].
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Designates November 22 as Kimchi Day.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT & TRIBAL RELATIONS
Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by 6 members:Representatives Mena, Chair; Stearns, Vice Chair; Waters, Ranking Minority Member; Chase, Doglio and Farivar.
Staff: Desiree Omli (786-7105).
Background:

State Holidays.
Washington recognizes 11 specific days as paid state legal holidays:  New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Juneteenth, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Native American Heritage Day, and Christmas Day.

 

Another 20 specific days are recognized by the Legislature, but they are not considered legal holidays.  Some of those days commemorate specific events, such as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.  Other days commemorate groups of people, such as Korean-American Day, or certain causes, such as Human Trafficking Awareness Day and Public Lands Day. 

 

House Resolution 4679 was adopted in 2024 to recognize November 22 as Kimchi Day in recognition of the history and importance of a beloved food stable first introduced in Washington by the Korean American community.  The resolution cites to kimchi's 11 major ingredients and 22 health benefits.

Kimchi.

Kimchi is a traditional Korean food that consists primarily of salted and fermented vegetables.  Often these ingredients include napa cabbage, daikon radish, carrots, garlic, ginger, and Korean chili.  South Korea celebrates National Kimchi Day on November 22 of each year.  California,  Hawaii, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia are among states that have passed resolutions in recent years to designate November 22 as Kimchi Day in their states.
Summary of Bill:

November 22 is designated as Kimchi Day, a legislatively recognized day.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) Kimchi is delicious and a staple of Korean meals.  It served as a way to preserve vegetables before refrigeration was invented.  Making November 22 Kimchi Day does not require any expenditure of funds.  A resolution was passed in Washington state in 2024 celebrating November 22 as Kimchi Day but this act would make it a permanent legislatively recognized day.

 

(Opposed) None.
Persons Testifying:

Representative Cindy Ryu, prime sponsor.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.