100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
SB3249

 

Introduced 2/15/2018, by Sen. Heather A. Steans

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/2-3.155
105 ILCS 5/27-21  from Ch. 122, par. 27-21
105 ILCS 5/27-23.11 new

    Amends the School Code. With regard to the textbook block grant program, provides that the textbooks authorized to be purchased must accurately portray the diversity of our society, including the role and contributions of people protected under the Illinois Human Rights Act, and must be non-discriminatory as to certain characteristics under the Act. Provides that the teaching of history of the United States in public schools shall include a study of the role and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the history of this country and this State. Requires every public elementary school and high school to include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the significant role of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals in society. Specifies instruction requirements. Requires the regional superintendent of schools to monitor a school district's compliance with the curriculum requirements. Effective July 1, 2019.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections
52-3.155 and 27-21 and by adding Section 27-23.11 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.155)
7    Sec. 2-3.155. Textbook block grant program.
8    (a) The provisions of this Section are in the public
9interest, for the public benefit, and serve secular public
10purposes.
11    (b) As used in this Section, "textbook" means any book or
12book substitute that a pupil uses as a text or text substitute,
13including electronic textbooks. "Textbook" includes books,
14reusable workbooks, manuals, whether bound or in loose-leaf
15form, instructional computer software, and electronic
16textbooks and the technological equipment necessary to gain
17access to and use electronic textbooks intended as a principal
18source of study material for a given class or group of
19students. "Textbook" also includes science curriculum
20materials in a kit format that includes pre-packaged consumable
21materials if (i) it is shown that the materials serve as a
22textbook substitute, (ii) the materials are for use by the
23pupils as a principal learning source, (iii) each component of

 

 

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1the materials is integrally necessary to teach the requirements
2of the intended course, (iv) the kit includes teacher guidance
3materials, and (v) the purchase of individual consumable
4materials is not allowed.
5    (c) Beginning July 1, 2011, subject to annual appropriation
6by the General Assembly, the State Board of Education is
7authorized to provide annual funding to public school districts
8and State-recognized, non-public schools serving students in
9grades kindergarten through 12 for the purchase of selected
10textbooks. The textbooks authorized to be purchased under this
11Section are limited without exception to textbooks that have
12been preapproved and designated by the State Board of Education
13for use in any public school and that are secular,
14non-religious, and non-sectarian, and non-discriminatory as to
15any of the characteristics under paragraph (A) of Section 1-102
16of the Illinois Human Rights Act. Textbooks authorized to be
17purchased under this Section must also accurately portray the
18diversity of our society, including the role and contributions
19of all people protected under paragraph (A) of Section 1-102 of
20the Illinois Human Rights Act. The State Board of Education
21shall annually publish a list of the textbooks authorized to be
22purchased under this Section. Each public school district and
23State-recognized, non-public school shall, subject to
24appropriations for that purpose, receive a per pupil grant for
25the purchase of secular, non-discriminatory, and accurate
26textbooks. The per pupil grant amount must be calculated by the

 

 

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1State Board of Education utilizing the total appropriation made
2for these purposes divided by the most current student
3enrollment data available.
4    (d) The State Board of Education may adopt rules as
5necessary for the implementation of this Section and to ensure
6the religious neutrality of the textbook block grant program,
7as well as provide for the monitoring of all textbooks
8authorized in this Section to be purchased directly by
9State-recognized, nonpublic schools serving students in grades
10kindergarten through 12.
11(Source: P.A. 97-570, eff. 8-25-11; 97-813, eff. 7-13-12.)
 
12    (105 ILCS 5/27-21)  (from Ch. 122, par. 27-21)
13    Sec. 27-21. History of United States. History of the United
14States shall be taught in all public schools and in all other
15educational institutions in this State supported or
16maintained, in whole or in part, by public funds. The teaching
17of history shall have as one of its objectives the imparting to
18pupils of a comprehensive idea of our democratic form of
19government and the principles for which our government stands
20as regards other nations, including the studying of the place
21of our government in world-wide movements and the leaders
22thereof, with particular stress upon the basic principles and
23ideals of our representative form of government. The teaching
24of history shall include a study of the role and contributions
25of African Americans and other ethnic groups including but not

 

 

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1restricted to Polish, Lithuanian, German, Hungarian, Irish,
2Bohemian, Russian, Albanian, Italian, Czech, Slovak, French,
3Scots, Hispanics, Asian Americans, etc., in the history of this
4country and this State. To reinforce the study of the role and
5contributions of Hispanics, such curriculum shall include the
6study of the events related to the forceful removal and illegal
7deportation of Mexican-American U.S. citizens during the Great
8Depression. The teaching of history shall include a study of
9the role and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
10transgender people in the history of this country and this
11State. The teaching of history also shall include a study of
12the role of labor unions and their interaction with government
13in achieving the goals of a mixed free enterprise system. No
14pupils shall be graduated from the eighth grade of any public
15school unless he has received such instruction in the history
16of the United States and gives evidence of having a
17comprehensive knowledge thereof.
18(Source: P.A. 96-629, eff. 1-1-10.)
 
19    (105 ILCS 5/27-23.11 new)
20    Sec. 27-23.11. LGBT history and awareness.
21    (a) Every public elementary school and high school shall
22include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the
23significant role of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
24(LGBT) individuals in society. Instruction may be included in
25those courses that the school district chooses. This

 

 

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1instruction shall be designed to teach that LGBT individuals
2have a rich history and have made substantial and valuable
3contributions to society, including in government, arts,
4sciences, mathematics, sports, and education, and in the
5economic, cultural, and political development of society. The
6instruction shall teach about the rich advocacy among the LGBT
7community and the LGBT community's allies to be treated
8equally. Instruction shall reinforce that all people,
9regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender
10expression, have a right to be treated with civil, legal, and
11human rights, and as full human beings above all else. When
12possible, adults, including school district employees who
13openly identify as LGBT and other openly LGBT adults in the
14community that the school district may decide to consult with,
15should be involved in the development and delivery of this
16instruction at the discretion of the LGBT individuals.
17    (b) The State Board of Education may prepare and make
18available to all school boards instructional materials that may
19be used as guidelines for development of instruction under this
20Section.
21    (c) Each school board shall determine the minimum amount of
22instructional time required under this Section.
23    (d) The regional superintendent of schools shall monitor a
24school district's compliance with the curriculum requirements
25of this Section during his or her annual compliance visit.
 
26    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,

 

 

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12019.