SB3511 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 39392 RJT 69572 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB3511

Introduced 2/9/2024, by Sen. Mike Simmons

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act
105 ILCS 5/2-3.24	from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.24

Creates the Let America Read Act. Provides that an entity or an entity's staff with oversight over the books, instructional materials, or curriculum used in a public school may not refuse to approve or prohibit the use of books, instructional materials, or a curriculum, including, but not limited to, memoirs, autobiographies, and biographies, based upon the depiction of matters of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, sexual and reproductive health, gender identity, religion, or human rights activism. Provides that these provisions do not restrict an entity with oversight over the books, instructional materials, or curriculum used in a public school from imposing limitations on the access to books, instructional materials, or a curriculum based upon the age and developmental level of the students who will have access. Amends the School Code to set forth a penalty for a school district that violates the Act.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

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

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Let America Read Act.

Section 5. Definition. As used in this Act, "entity" means a unit of State government or local government.

Section 10. Prohibiting book, instructional material, or curriculum bans.

(a) An entity or an entity's staff with oversight over the books, instructional materials, or curriculum used in a public school may not refuse to approve or prohibit the use of books, instructional materials, or a curriculum, including, but not limited to, memoirs, autobiographies, and biographies, based upon the depiction in the books, instructional materials, or curriculum of matters of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, sexual and reproductive health, gender identity, religion, or human rights activism.

(b) This Section does not restrict an entity with oversight over the books, instructional materials, or curriculum used in a public school from imposing limitations on the access to books, instructional materials, or a curriculum based upon the age and developmental level of the students who will have access to the books, instructional materials, or curriculum.

Section 90. The School Code is amended by changing Section 2-3.24 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.24) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.24)

Sec. 2-3.24. Withholding funds from school officer or teacher. To require the Comptroller, regional superintendent of schools, trustees, township treasurer, directors or other school officer to withhold from any township, district, officer or teacher any part of the common school, township or other school fund (i) until such treasurer, officer or teacher has made all schedules, reports and returns required of such officer him by this Code Act and until the such officer has executed and filed all official bonds and accounted for all common school, township or other school funds which have come into the officer's his hands or (ii) if a school district is in violation of Section 10 of the Instructional Materials in Schools Act, until the school district is in compliance with Section 10 of the Instructional Materials in Schools Act.

(Source: P.A. 88-641, eff. 9-9-94.)