104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB2124 Introduced 2/7/2025, by Sen. Mike Simmons SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act5 ILCS 100/5-45.65 new Creates the Let America Read Act. Provides that the State Board of Education with oversight over the instructional materials used in public schools shall create a grievance procedure for challenges to instructional materials. Provides that a school district shall designate a Review Committee to review all challenges to instructional materials. Provides that for each formal challenge, the Review Committee shall review the instructional material with the use of clear, objective review criteria created by the State Board. Requires the school district to create a Formal Grievance Procedure for Instructional Materials Form. Provides that upon receipt of a formal complaint, the Review Committee shall hold a minimum of 2 public meetings during a school year to review complaints, welcome input from the public, and generate recommendations to the final decision maker. Provides that the challenged instructional material shall remain accessible in the classroom pending a final determination. Provides that if the challenged instructional material faces a successful objection, then the removal of the instructional material takes effect the school year after the year in which the complaint was filed. Provides that if an instructional material is formally challenged and a final determination is reached, the instructional material shall not be challenged and reviewed by the Review Committee for 3 school years. Grants rulemaking authority to the State Board. Makes a conforming change in the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. LRB104 09790 LNS 19856 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB2124 Introduced 2/7/2025, by Sen. Mike Simmons SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act5 ILCS 100/5-45.65 new New Act 5 ILCS 100/5-45.65 new Creates the Let America Read Act. Provides that the State Board of Education with oversight over the instructional materials used in public schools shall create a grievance procedure for challenges to instructional materials. Provides that a school district shall designate a Review Committee to review all challenges to instructional materials. Provides that for each formal challenge, the Review Committee shall review the instructional material with the use of clear, objective review criteria created by the State Board. Requires the school district to create a Formal Grievance Procedure for Instructional Materials Form. Provides that upon receipt of a formal complaint, the Review Committee shall hold a minimum of 2 public meetings during a school year to review complaints, welcome input from the public, and generate recommendations to the final decision maker. Provides that the challenged instructional material shall remain accessible in the classroom pending a final determination. Provides that if the challenged instructional material faces a successful objection, then the removal of the instructional material takes effect the school year after the year in which the complaint was filed. Provides that if an instructional material is formally challenged and a final determination is reached, the instructional material shall not be challenged and reviewed by the Review Committee for 3 school years. Grants rulemaking authority to the State Board. Makes a conforming change in the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. LRB104 09790 LNS 19856 b LRB104 09790 LNS 19856 b A BILL FOR
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB2124 Introduced 2/7/2025, by Sen. Mike Simmons SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
New Act5 ILCS 100/5-45.65 new New Act 5 ILCS 100/5-45.65 new
New Act
5 ILCS 100/5-45.65 new
Creates the Let America Read Act. Provides that the State Board of Education with oversight over the instructional materials used in public schools shall create a grievance procedure for challenges to instructional materials. Provides that a school district shall designate a Review Committee to review all challenges to instructional materials. Provides that for each formal challenge, the Review Committee shall review the instructional material with the use of clear, objective review criteria created by the State Board. Requires the school district to create a Formal Grievance Procedure for Instructional Materials Form. Provides that upon receipt of a formal complaint, the Review Committee shall hold a minimum of 2 public meetings during a school year to review complaints, welcome input from the public, and generate recommendations to the final decision maker. Provides that the challenged instructional material shall remain accessible in the classroom pending a final determination. Provides that if the challenged instructional material faces a successful objection, then the removal of the instructional material takes effect the school year after the year in which the complaint was filed. Provides that if an instructional material is formally challenged and a final determination is reached, the instructional material shall not be challenged and reviewed by the Review Committee for 3 school years. Grants rulemaking authority to the State Board. Makes a conforming change in the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.
LRB104 09790 LNS 19856 b LRB104 09790 LNS 19856 b
LRB104 09790 LNS 19856 b
A BILL FOR
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SB2124 LRB104 09790 LNS 19856 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 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Let
5 America Read Act.
6 Section 5. Definition. As used in this Act, "final
7 decision maker" means a school board of any school district in
8 the State, including special charter districts and a district
9 organized under Article 34 of the School Code.
10 Section 10. Grievance procedure for challenges to
11 instructional material.
12 (a) Within 90 days after the completion of emergency rules
13 by the State Board of Education, the State Board of Education,
14 with oversight over the instructional materials, including
15 print, digital, online, and remote-learning resources used in
16 public schools, shall create a grievance procedure for
17 challenges to instructional materials that complies with this
18 Act.
19 (b) The grievance procedure shall permit a currently
20 enrolled student, parent or guardian who permanently resides
21 in the school district where the parent's or guardian's child
22 or student attends, or teacher or administrator who is
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB2124 Introduced 2/7/2025, by Sen. Mike Simmons SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
New Act5 ILCS 100/5-45.65 new New Act 5 ILCS 100/5-45.65 new
New Act
5 ILCS 100/5-45.65 new
Creates the Let America Read Act. Provides that the State Board of Education with oversight over the instructional materials used in public schools shall create a grievance procedure for challenges to instructional materials. Provides that a school district shall designate a Review Committee to review all challenges to instructional materials. Provides that for each formal challenge, the Review Committee shall review the instructional material with the use of clear, objective review criteria created by the State Board. Requires the school district to create a Formal Grievance Procedure for Instructional Materials Form. Provides that upon receipt of a formal complaint, the Review Committee shall hold a minimum of 2 public meetings during a school year to review complaints, welcome input from the public, and generate recommendations to the final decision maker. Provides that the challenged instructional material shall remain accessible in the classroom pending a final determination. Provides that if the challenged instructional material faces a successful objection, then the removal of the instructional material takes effect the school year after the year in which the complaint was filed. Provides that if an instructional material is formally challenged and a final determination is reached, the instructional material shall not be challenged and reviewed by the Review Committee for 3 school years. Grants rulemaking authority to the State Board. Makes a conforming change in the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.
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LRB104 09790 LNS 19856 b
A BILL FOR
New Act
5 ILCS 100/5-45.65 new
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1 currently employed or under contract with the school district
2 to challenge instructional materials using a form that follows
3 the Formal Grievance of Instructional Materials Form provided
4 for in Section 25. If the child or student is under a shared
5 parenting agreement, then each parent shall be permitted to
6 avail themselves of the formal grievance procedure regardless
7 of where each parent permanently resides.
8 (c) The Review Committee, as outlined in Section 15, shall
9 first attempt to resolve complaints without resorting to the
10 formal grievance procedure. A student, parent or guardian, or
11 teacher filing a complaint under this policy may forego any
12 informal suggestions or attempts to resolve it and may proceed
13 directly to the formal grievance procedure. Instructional
14 materials shall not be removed from the classroom unless the
15 formal grievance procedure is followed.
16 (d) For all challenges, the Review Committee shall address
17 the complaint promptly and equitably in accordance with the
18 timeline outlined in Section 30.
19 (e) A currently enrolled student, parent or guardian who
20 permanently resides in the school district where the parent's
21 or guardian's child or student attends, or teacher or
22 administrator who is currently employed or under contract with
23 the school district who wishes to avail themselves of the
24 formal grievance procedure may do so by filing a complaint
25 using a Formal Grievance of Instructional Materials Form
26 required by Section 20.
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1 (f) The challenged instructional material shall remain
2 accessible in the classroom pending a final determination
3 through the formal grievance procedure.
4 (g) The Review Committee shall hold a minimum of 2 public
5 meetings during a school year to review complaints, welcome
6 input from the public, and generate recommendations to the
7 final decision maker. It is recommended that meetings shall be
8 set around the time of teacher workdays, in service, or
9 curriculum planning. The Review Committee may schedule more
10 meetings, public or private, if a simple majority of Review
11 Committee members deem it necessary to allow for additional
12 time to review challenged instructional material.
13 (h) For all formal grievances, the Review Committee shall
14 review the challenged material using the criteria provided in
15 Section 25. Upon reviewing the challenged instructional
16 material, the Review Committee shall make a recommendation to
17 the final decision maker.
18 (i) The final decision maker shall send notice to the
19 Review Committee of the final decision maker's decision to
20 follow the recommendation of the Review Committee, deny to
21 follow the recommendation, or modify the recommendation.
22 (j) If the final decision maker dissents from the Review
23 Committee's recommendation, then the Review Committee may hold
24 a vote to override the final decision maker's decision. This
25 vote must be by two-thirds of Review Committee members to
26 override.
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1 (k) Once a final determination is reached through this
2 policy regarding the instructional material, the school
3 district shall notify the complainant of the final
4 determination through the contact information provided on the
5 Formal Grievance Procedure for Instructional Materials Form.
6 The school district shall post the final determination on the
7 school's website.
8 (l) If the challenged instructional material faces a
9 successful objection, then the removal of the instructional
10 material takes effect the school year after the year in which
11 the final decision was issued on the instructional material by
12 the final decision maker.
13 (m) When an instructional material is formally challenged
14 and a final determination is reached, the review committee is
15 prohibited from reviewing the same material, including newer
16 editions of the same title, more than once in 3 school years.
17 (n) If the challenger moves from the school district prior
18 to the year the instructional material is set to be removed
19 from the classroom, then the challenge shall be considered
20 void. The instructional material shall remain in the classroom
21 under this scenario.
22 Section 15. Review Committee composition.
23 (a) A school district shall designate a Review Committee
24 to review all challenges to instructional materials. The
25 Review Committee shall consist of the following members:
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1 (1) at least one librarian;
2 (2) several teachers;
3 (3) at least one school or district-level
4 administrator;
5 (4) trained students; and
6 (5) community members.
7 (b) The number of community members on the Review
8 Committee shall not outnumber the individuals provided in
9 paragraphs (1) through (4).
10 Section 20. Criteria for the Review Committee to evaluate
11 formal challenges to instructional material. For each formal
12 challenge, the Review Committee shall review the instructional
13 material with the use of clear, objective review criteria
14 created by the State Board of Education, including:
15 (1) the accuracy and completeness of the instructional
16 material;
17 (2) the instructional material's importance to
18 curriculum;
19 (3) the reviews, awards, and recommendations by
20 educational experts relating to the instructional
21 material;
22 (4) whether the instructional material is age
23 appropriate;
24 (5) refers to if students have relevant age, maturity,
25 and literacy skills to comprehend the instructional
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1 material's message;
2 (6) the criteria should state that the presence of
3 specific content, such as sexuality or violence, does not
4 in itself render a book inappropriate;
5 (7) whether the instructional material is popular
6 among students;
7 (8) the length of time material has been in use; and
8 (9) whether there is a presence of timely
9 sociopolitical issues.
10 Section 25. Requirements of the Formal Grievance Procedure
11 for Instructional Materials Form.
12 (a) The school district shall create a Formal Grievance
13 Procedure for Instructional Materials Form that complies with
14 the requirements of this Section.
15 (b) The Formal Grievance Procedure for Instructional
16 Materials Form shall include space for a complainant to:
17 (1) identify themselves as the complainant and their
18 relation to the school district, such as a parent or
19 teacher;
20 (2) provide contact information, including email,
21 phone number, and address;
22 (3) describe the complainant's objection to the
23 instructional material and the pages where the objection
24 occur;
25 (4) establish familiarity with the work as a whole.
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1 The complainant should have read the instructional
2 material in its entirety and be able to identify
3 objectionable portions in context;
4 (5) explain why the complainant considers the work
5 inappropriate, taking into consideration the teacher's
6 justification for using it; and
7 (6) offer a suggestion for alternative material that
8 is of comparable educational quality. This is intended to
9 help the Review Committee assess the complainants'
10 judgment and motives.
11 Section 30. Timeline for challenges to instructional
12 material.
13 (a) For all challenges, the Review Committee shall address
14 the complaint promptly and equitably in accordance with this
15 Section.
16 (b) Upon receipt of a formal complaint, the Review
17 Committee shall hold a minimum of 2 public meetings during a
18 school year to review complaints, welcome input from the
19 public, and generate recommendations to the final decision
20 maker.
21 (c) The challenged instructional material shall remain
22 accessible in the classroom pending a final determination
23 through the formal grievance procedure.
24 (d) If the challenged instructional material faces a
25 successful objection, then the removal of the instructional
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1 material takes effect the school year after the year in which
2 the complaint was filed.
3 (e) If instructional material is formally challenged and a
4 final determination is reached, the instructional material
5 shall not be challenged and reviewed by the Review Committee
6 for 3 school years.
7 Section 35. Rulemaking authority. The State Board of
8 Education shall adopt rules necessary to establish and
9 implement this Act through the use of emergency rulemaking in
10 accordance with Section 5-45 of the Illinois Administrative
11 Procedure Act. The State Board of Education shall create
12 clear, objective review criteria that complies with Section
13 20. For purposes of that Act, the General Assembly finds that
14 the adoption of rules to implement this Act is deemed an
15 emergency and necessary for the public interest, safety, and
16 welfare.
17 Section 40. The Illinois Administrative Procedure Act is
18 amended by adding Section 5-45.65 as follows:
19 (5 ILCS 100/5-45.65 new)
20 Sec. 5-45.65. Emergency rulemaking; State Board of
21 Education. To provide for the expeditious and timely
22 implementation of the Let America Read Act, emergency rules
23 implementing the Let America Read Act may be adopted in
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