IL
Illinois House Bill HB2997

Illinois 2025-2026 Regular Session

Illinois House Bill HB2997 Compare Versions

OldNewDifferences
1-HB2997 EngrossedLRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b HB2997 Engrossed LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b
2- HB2997 Engrossed LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b
1+104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2997 Introduced , by Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/27-23.19 new Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Arab American history, including the history of Arab Americans in the State and the Midwest, as well as the contributions of Arab Americans from the 19th century onward. Provides that the State Superintendent of Education may prepare and make available to all school boards instructional materials, including those established by the Public Broadcasting Service, that may be used as guidelines for the development of the unit of instruction. Provides that each school board shall determine the minimum amount of instructional time that qualifies as a unit of instruction. Provides that the regional superintendent of schools shall monitor a school district's compliance with the curricular requirements during the regional superintendent's annual compliance visit. Provides that a school may meet the requirements through an online program or course. Effective immediately. LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2997 Introduced , by Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/27-23.19 new 105 ILCS 5/27-23.19 new Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Arab American history, including the history of Arab Americans in the State and the Midwest, as well as the contributions of Arab Americans from the 19th century onward. Provides that the State Superintendent of Education may prepare and make available to all school boards instructional materials, including those established by the Public Broadcasting Service, that may be used as guidelines for the development of the unit of instruction. Provides that each school board shall determine the minimum amount of instructional time that qualifies as a unit of instruction. Provides that the regional superintendent of schools shall monitor a school district's compliance with the curricular requirements during the regional superintendent's annual compliance visit. Provides that a school may meet the requirements through an online program or course. Effective immediately. LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b A BILL FOR
2+104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2997 Introduced , by Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
3+105 ILCS 5/27-23.19 new 105 ILCS 5/27-23.19 new
4+105 ILCS 5/27-23.19 new
5+Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Arab American history, including the history of Arab Americans in the State and the Midwest, as well as the contributions of Arab Americans from the 19th century onward. Provides that the State Superintendent of Education may prepare and make available to all school boards instructional materials, including those established by the Public Broadcasting Service, that may be used as guidelines for the development of the unit of instruction. Provides that each school board shall determine the minimum amount of instructional time that qualifies as a unit of instruction. Provides that the regional superintendent of schools shall monitor a school district's compliance with the curricular requirements during the regional superintendent's annual compliance visit. Provides that a school may meet the requirements through an online program or course. Effective immediately.
6+LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b
7+ LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b
8+A BILL FOR
9+HB2997LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b HB2997 LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b
10+ HB2997 LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b
311 1 AN ACT concerning education.
412 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
513 3 represented in the General Assembly:
6-4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
7-5 27-20.8 as follows:
8-6 (105 ILCS 5/27-20.8)
9-7 Sec. 27-20.8. Asian American and Arab American history
10-8 study.
11-9 (a) Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, every public
12-10 elementary school and high school shall include in its
13-11 curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Asian
14-12 American history, including the history of Asian Americans in
15-13 Illinois and the Midwest, as well as the contributions of
16-14 Asian Americans toward advancing civil rights from the 19th
17-15 century onward. These events shall include the contributions
18-16 made by individual Asian Americans in government and the arts,
19-17 humanities, and sciences, as well as the contributions of
20-18 Asian American communities to the economic, cultural, social,
21-19 and political development of the United States. The studying
22-20 of this material shall constitute an affirmation by students
23-21 of their commitment to respect the dignity of all races and
24-22 peoples and to forever eschew every form of discrimination in
25-23 their lives and careers.
14+4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section
15+5 27-23.19 as follows:
16+6 (105 ILCS 5/27-23.19 new)
17+7 Sec. 27-23.19. Arab American History Study.
18+8 (a) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, every public
19+9 elementary school and high school shall include in its
20+10 curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Arab
21+11 American history, including the history of Arab Americans in
22+12 this State and the Midwest, as well as the contributions of
23+13 Arab Americans from the 19th century onward. These events
24+14 shall include the contributions made by individual Arab
25+15 Americans in government and the arts, humanities, and
26+16 sciences, as well as the contributions of Arab American
27+17 communities to the economic, cultural, social, and political
28+18 development of the United States. The studying of this
29+19 material shall constitute an affirmation by students of their
30+20 commitment to respect the dignity of all races and peoples and
31+21 to forever eschew every form of discrimination in their lives
32+22 and careers.
33+23 (b) The State Superintendent of Education may prepare and
2634
2735
2836
29- HB2997 Engrossed LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b
30-
31-
32-HB2997 Engrossed- 2 -LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b HB2997 Engrossed - 2 - LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b
33- HB2997 Engrossed - 2 - LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b
34-1 (a-5) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, every
35-2 public elementary school and high school shall include in its
36-3 curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Arab
37-4 American history, including the history of Arab Americans in
38-5 this State and the Midwest, as well as the contributions of
39-6 Arab Americans from the 19th century onward. These events
40-7 shall include the contributions made by individual Arab
41-8 Americans in government and the arts, humanities, and
42-9 sciences, as well as the contributions of Arab American
43-10 communities to the economic, cultural, social, and political
44-11 development of the United States. The studying of this
45-12 material shall constitute an affirmation by students of their
46-13 commitment to respect the dignity of all races and peoples and
47-14 to forever eschew every form of discrimination in their lives
48-15 and careers.
49-16 (b) The State Superintendent of Education may prepare and
50-17 make available to all school boards instructional materials,
51-18 including those established by the Public Broadcasting
52-19 Service, that may be used as guidelines for development of a
53-20 unit of instruction under this Section. However, each school
54-21 board shall itself determine the minimum amount of
55-22 instructional time that qualifies as a unit of instruction
56-23 satisfying the requirements of this Section.
57-24 (c) The regional superintendent of schools shall monitor a
58-25 school district's compliance with this Section's curricular
59-26 requirements during his or her annual compliance visit.
37+104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2997 Introduced , by Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
38+105 ILCS 5/27-23.19 new 105 ILCS 5/27-23.19 new
39+105 ILCS 5/27-23.19 new
40+Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Arab American history, including the history of Arab Americans in the State and the Midwest, as well as the contributions of Arab Americans from the 19th century onward. Provides that the State Superintendent of Education may prepare and make available to all school boards instructional materials, including those established by the Public Broadcasting Service, that may be used as guidelines for the development of the unit of instruction. Provides that each school board shall determine the minimum amount of instructional time that qualifies as a unit of instruction. Provides that the regional superintendent of schools shall monitor a school district's compliance with the curricular requirements during the regional superintendent's annual compliance visit. Provides that a school may meet the requirements through an online program or course. Effective immediately.
41+LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b
42+ LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b
43+A BILL FOR
6044
6145
6246
6347
6448
65- HB2997 Engrossed - 2 - LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b
49+105 ILCS 5/27-23.19 new
6650
6751
68-HB2997 Engrossed- 3 -LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b HB2997 Engrossed - 3 - LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b
69- HB2997 Engrossed - 3 - LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b
70-1 (d) A school may meet the requirements of this Section
71-2 through an online program or course.
72-3 (Source: P.A. 102-44, eff. 1-1-22.)
73-4 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
74-5 becoming law.
52+
53+ LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b
7554
7655
7756
7857
7958
80- HB2997 Engrossed - 3 - LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b
59+
60+
61+
62+
63+ HB2997 LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b
64+
65+
66+HB2997- 2 -LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b HB2997 - 2 - LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b
67+ HB2997 - 2 - LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b
68+1 make available to all school boards instructional materials,
69+2 including those established by the Public Broadcasting
70+3 Service, that may be used as guidelines for the development of
71+4 a unit of instruction under this Section. However, each school
72+5 board shall itself determine the minimum amount of
73+6 instructional time that qualifies as a unit of instruction
74+7 satisfying the requirements of this Section.
75+8 (c) The regional superintendent of schools shall monitor a
76+9 school district's compliance with this Section's curricular
77+10 requirements during the regional superintendent's annual
78+11 compliance visit.
79+12 (d) A school may meet the requirements of this Section
80+13 through an online program or course.
81+
82+
83+
84+
85+
86+ HB2997 - 2 - LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b