The rumors are false: New York isn't forcing Chick-fil-A to open on Sundays

• Rumors are spreading that New York state is forcing Chick-fil-A to remain open on seven days a week.
• The restaurant chain, founded by conservative Christians, famously is closed on Sundays.

I overheard a rumor at my family Christmas party that seemed a little hard to believe: The state of New York was going to force all Chick-fil-A restaurants to remain open on Sundays.

But like many rumors, there was a lot more to the story.

Despite what Sen. Lindsey Graham and other Republican lawmakers have suggested, New York is not forcing Chick-fil-A to open on Sundays.

Why Chick-fil-A closes on Sundays

Chick-fil-A says the practice of closing on Sundays was started by its late founder, S. Truett Cathy, and has continued to today. "Closing our business on Sunday, the Lord's Day, is our way of honoring God and showing our loyalty to Him," Cathy, who died in 2014, wrote in his 2002 book.

"It's not about being closed. It's about how we use that time," Chick-fil-A says on its website. "So while we're off today, we hope you can be with your family and friends."

How the proposed New York bill could impact Chick-fil-A

A bill proposed by New York lawmakers would require all restaurants contracted to operate at rest areas on the state highway system to be open seven days a week. The legislation applies to "food services at transportation facilities and rest areas owned and operated by certain public authorities," according to text submitted with the bill.

The purpose of the bill is to ensure that motorists have reliable access to food while traveling on state highways by requiring restaurants to be open daily.

"While there is nothing objectionable about a fast food restaurant closing on a particular day of the week, service areas dedicated to travelers is an inappropriate location for such a restaurant. Publicly owned service areas should use their space to maximally benefit the public," a written justification for the bill reads. "Allowing for retail space to go unused one seventh of the week or more is a disservice and unnecessary inconvenience to travelers who rely on these service areas."

Basically, it means New York state would only issue new contracts for rest areas to restaurants that will be open seven days a week. So it's true that the bill could mean Chick-fil-A would not be able to open new locations in highway rest areas unless the location agrees to open on Sundays.

While it applies to all restaurants, Chick-fil-A was mentioned in text related to the bill. The Democratic lawmaker who introduced the bill, State Assemblymember Tony Simone, also mentioned the restaurant by name, the Associated Press reported.

"Look, if you want to eat fried chicken while traveling over the holidays, then Chick-fil-A should be open on Sundays," she said.

Most Chick-fil-A locations won't be impacted

However, the bill would not impact the vast majority of Chick-fil-A locations in the state. It would also not immediately apply to the existing locations that are already in rest areas to open on Sundays, as it is meant to impact "future contracts."

A state highway official told PIX11 News affiliate WTEN that Chick-fil-A already has a 33-year contract with the state highway system.

Still, Graham and other critics of the bill have argued it would infringe upon Chick-fil-A's religious freedoms. Graham appeared in front of a location in Manhattan — that would not be affected by the bill — to tell Democrats to get their "Hands off OUR Chick-Fil-A!"

But proponents of the bill note that no one is forcing Chick-fil-A to open restaurants in state-run highway rest stops.