HB0246eng 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB0246 Engrossed LRB101 05293 AXK 50307 b

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections 2-3.155 and 27-21 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.155)

Sec. 2-3.155. Textbook block grant program.

(a) The provisions of this Section are in the public interest, for the public benefit, and serve secular public purposes.

(b) As used in this Section, "textbook" means any book or book substitute that a pupil uses as a text or text substitute, including electronic textbooks. "Textbook" includes books, reusable workbooks, manuals, whether bound or in loose-leaf form, instructional computer software, and electronic textbooks and the technological equipment necessary to gain access to and use electronic textbooks intended as a principal source of study material for a given class or group of students. "Textbook" also includes science curriculum materials in a kit format that includes pre-packaged consumable materials if (i) it is shown that the materials serve as a textbook substitute, (ii) the materials are for use by the pupils as a principal learning source, (iii) each component of the materials is integrally necessary to teach the requirements of the intended course, (iv) the kit includes teacher guidance materials, and (v) the purchase of individual consumable materials is not allowed.

(c) Beginning July 1, 2011, subject to annual appropriation by the General Assembly, the State Board of Education is authorized to provide annual funding to public school districts and State-recognized, non-public schools serving students in grades kindergarten through 12 for the purchase of selected textbooks. The textbooks authorized to be purchased under this Section are limited without exception to textbooks that have been preapproved and designated by the State Board of Education for use in any public school and that are secular, non-religious, and non-sectarian, and non-discriminatory as to any of the characteristics under the Illinois Human Rights Act. Textbooks authorized to be purchased under this Section must include the roles and contributions of all people protected under the Illinois Human Rights Act. The State Board of Education shall annually publish a list of the textbooks authorized to be purchased under this Section. Each public school district and State-recognized, non-public school shall, subject to appropriations for that purpose, receive a per pupil grant for the purchase of secular and non-discriminatory textbooks. The per pupil grant amount must be calculated by the State Board of Education utilizing the total appropriation made for these purposes divided by the most current student enrollment data available.

(d) The State Board of Education may adopt rules as necessary for the implementation of this Section and to ensure the religious neutrality of the textbook block grant program, as well as provide for the monitoring of all textbooks authorized in this Section to be purchased directly by State-recognized, nonpublic schools serving students in grades kindergarten through 12.

(Source: P.A. 97-570, eff. 8-25-11; 97-813, eff. 7-13-12.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-21) (from Ch. 122, par. 27-21)

Sec. 27-21. History of United States. History of the United States shall be taught in all public schools and in all other educational institutions in this State supported or maintained, in whole or in part, by public funds. The teaching of history shall have as one of its objectives the imparting to pupils of a comprehensive idea of our democratic form of government and the principles for which our government stands as regards other nations, including the studying of the place of our government in world-wide movements and the leaders thereof, with particular stress upon the basic principles and ideals of our representative form of government. The teaching of history shall include a study of the role and contributions of African Americans and other ethnic groups including but not restricted to Polish, Lithuanian, German, Hungarian, Irish, Bohemian, Russian, Albanian, Italian, Czech, Slovak, French, Scots, Hispanics, Asian Americans, etc., in the history of this country and this State. To reinforce the study of the role and contributions of Hispanics, such curriculum shall include the study of the events related to the forceful removal and illegal deportation of Mexican-American U.S. citizens during the Great Depression. In public schools only, the teaching of history shall include a study of the roles and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the history of this country and this State. The teaching of history also shall include a study of the role of labor unions and their interaction with government in achieving the goals of a mixed free enterprise system. No pupils shall be graduated from the eighth grade of any public school unless he or she has received such instruction in the history of the United States and gives evidence of having a comprehensive knowledge thereof.

(Source: P.A. 96-629, eff. 1-1-10.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2020.