HB2997 EngrossedLRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b HB2997 Engrossed LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b
HB2997 Engrossed LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b
1 AN ACT concerning education.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
5 27-20.8 as follows:
6 (105 ILCS 5/27-20.8)
7 Sec. 27-20.8. Asian American and Arab American history
8 study.
9 (a) Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, every public
10 elementary school and high school shall include in its
11 curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Asian
12 American history, including the history of Asian Americans in
13 Illinois and the Midwest, as well as the contributions of
14 Asian Americans toward advancing civil rights from the 19th
15 century onward. These events shall include the contributions
16 made by individual Asian Americans in government and the arts,
17 humanities, and sciences, as well as the contributions of
18 Asian American communities to the economic, cultural, social,
19 and political development of the United States. The studying
20 of this material shall constitute an affirmation by students
21 of their commitment to respect the dignity of all races and
22 peoples and to forever eschew every form of discrimination in
23 their lives and careers.
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1 (a-5) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, every
2 public elementary school and high school shall include in its
3 curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Arab
4 American history, including the history of Arab Americans in
5 this State and the Midwest, as well as the contributions of
6 Arab Americans from the 19th century onward. These events
7 shall include the contributions made by individual Arab
8 Americans in government and the arts, humanities, and
9 sciences, as well as the contributions of Arab American
10 communities to the economic, cultural, social, and political
11 development of the United States. The studying of this
12 material shall constitute an affirmation by students of their
13 commitment to respect the dignity of all races and peoples and
14 to forever eschew every form of discrimination in their lives
15 and careers.
16 (b) The State Superintendent of Education may prepare and
17 make available to all school boards instructional materials,
18 including those established by the Public Broadcasting
19 Service, that may be used as guidelines for development of a
20 unit of instruction under this Section. However, each school
21 board shall itself determine the minimum amount of
22 instructional time that qualifies as a unit of instruction
23 satisfying the requirements of this Section.
24 (c) The regional superintendent of schools shall monitor a
25 school district's compliance with this Section's curricular
26 requirements during his or her annual compliance visit.
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1 (d) A school may meet the requirements of this Section
2 through an online program or course.
3 (Source: P.A. 102-44, eff. 1-1-22.)
4 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
5 becoming law.
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