HB4954 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB101 18614 CMG 68069 b

101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB4954

Introduced 2/18/2020, by Rep. La Shawn K. Ford

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/24-2	from Ch. 122, par. 24-2
105 ILCS 5/27-21	from Ch. 122, par. 27-21

Amends the School Code. Adds as commemorative holidays January 15 (to be known as Humanitarian Day and observed as a day of respect for the principles of human and civil rights and to involve the use of the color white as a visual affirmation to practice these principles), April 4 (to be known as Victims of Violence Wholly Day and observed as a day of respect for the principles of nonviolence and to involve the use of the color black as a visual affirmation to practice these principles), and August 28 (to be known as Dream Day and observed as a day of respect for the spiritual and moral principles of peoplehood and to involve the use of the colors black and white as a visual affirmation to practice these principles). Provides that the teaching of the history of the United States shall include the study of the American civil rights renaissance, that period of time from 1954 to 1965 called the Movement.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

A BILL FOR

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 24-2 and 27-21 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/24-2) (from Ch. 122, par. 24-2)

Sec. 24-2. Holidays.

(a) Teachers shall not be required to teach on Saturdays, nor, except as provided in subsection (b) of this Section, shall teachers or other school employees, other than noncertificated school employees whose presence is necessary because of an emergency or for the continued operation and maintenance of school facilities or property, be required to work on legal school holidays, which are January 1, New Year's Day; the third Monday in January, the Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; February 12, the Birthday of President Abraham Lincoln; the first Monday in March (to be known as Casimir Pulaski's birthday); Good Friday; the day designated as Memorial Day by federal law; July 4, Independence Day; the first Monday in September, Labor Day; the second Monday in October, Columbus Day; November 11, Veterans' Day; the Thursday in November commonly called Thanksgiving Day; and December 25, Christmas Day. School boards may grant special holidays whenever in their judgment such action is advisable. No deduction shall be made from the time or compensation of a school employee on account of any legal or special holiday.

(b) A school board or other entity eligible to apply for waivers and modifications under Section 2-3.25g of this Code is authorized to hold school or schedule teachers' institutes, parent-teacher conferences, or staff development on the third Monday in January (the Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.); February 12 (the Birthday of President Abraham Lincoln); the first Monday in March (known as Casimir Pulaski's birthday); the second Monday in October (Columbus Day); and November 11 (Veterans' Day), provided that:

(1) the person or persons honored by the holiday are recognized through instructional activities conducted on that day or, if the day is not used for student attendance, on the first school day preceding or following that day; and

(2) the entity that chooses to exercise this authority first holds a public hearing about the proposal. The entity shall provide notice preceding the public hearing to both educators and parents. The notice shall set forth the time, date, and place of the hearing, describe the proposal, and indicate that the entity will take testimony from educators and parents about the proposal.

(c) Commemorative holidays, which recognize specified patriotic, civic, cultural or historical persons, activities, or events, are regular school days. Commemorative holidays are: January 15 (to be known as Humanitarian Day and observed as a day of respect for the principles of human and civil rights and to involve the use of the color white as a visual affirmation to practice these principles), January 28 (to be known as Christa McAuliffe Day and observed as a commemoration of space exploration), February 15 (the birthday of Susan B. Anthony), March 29 (Viet Nam War Veterans' Day), April 4 (to be known as Victims of Violence Wholly Day and observed as a day of respect for the principles of nonviolence and to involve the use of the color black as a visual affirmation to practice these principles), August 28 (to be known as Dream Day and observed as a day of respect for the spiritual and moral principles of peoplehood and to involve the use of the colors black and white as a visual affirmation to practice these principles), September 11 (September 11th Day of Remembrance), the school day immediately preceding Veterans' Day (Korean War Veterans' Day), October 1 (Recycling Day), October 7 (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Remembrance Day), December 7 (Pearl Harbor Veterans' Day), and any day so appointed by the President or Governor. School boards may establish commemorative holidays whenever in their judgment such action is advisable. School boards shall include instruction relative to commemorated persons, activities, or events on the commemorative holiday or at any other time during the school year and at any point in the curriculum when such instruction may be deemed appropriate. The State Board of Education shall prepare and make available to school boards instructional materials relative to commemorated persons, activities, or events which may be used by school boards in conjunction with any instruction provided pursuant to this paragraph.

(d) City of Chicago School District 299 shall observe March 4 of each year as a commemorative holiday. This holiday shall be known as Mayors' Day which shall be a day to commemorate and be reminded of the past Chief Executive Officers of the City of Chicago, and in particular the late Mayor Richard J. Daley and the late Mayor Harold Washington. If March 4 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, Mayors' Day shall be observed on the following Monday.

(Source: P.A. 98-156, eff. 8-2-13.)

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

(Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 101-227)

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. The teaching of history shall include the study of the American civil rights renaissance, that period of time from 1954 to 1965 called the Movement. 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. Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, the teaching of history must also include instruction on the history of Illinois. No pupils shall be graduated from the eighth grade of any public school unless he has received such instruction in the history of the United States and gives evidence of having a comprehensive knowledge thereof.

(Source: P.A. 101-341, eff. 1-1-20; revised 9-19-19.)

(Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 101-227)

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. The teaching of history shall include the study of the American civil rights renaissance, that period of time from 1954 to 1965 called the Movement. 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. Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, the teaching of history must also include instruction on the history of Illinois. 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. 101-227, eff. 7-1-20; 101-341, eff. 1-1-20; revised 9-19-19.)

Section 95. No acceleration or delay. Where this Act makes changes in a statute that is represented in this Act by text that is not yet or no longer in effect (for example, a Section represented by multiple versions), the use of that text does not accelerate or delay the taking effect of (i) the changes made by this Act or (ii) provisions derived from any other Public Act.