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1 | AN ACT concerning education.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 1. Findings and policy. The General Assembly finds | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | the following: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | (1) The Bible has been of great influence in the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | history of the world and of the United States in the arts, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | music, literature, and laws, on civilization, and as part | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | of the story of man's struggles throughout history. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | (2) The United States Supreme Court, in Stone v. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | Graham, 449 U.S. 39 (1980), noted in its decision that "the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | Bible may constitutionally be used in an appropriate study | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, or | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | the like". | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | (3) In a landmark case of prayer in the public schools, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | the United States Supreme Court decision of Abington | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | Township School District v. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203 (1963), | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | written for the majority by Justice Tom Clark, noted, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | "Nothing we have said here indicates that such study of the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | Bible or of religion, when presented objectively as a part | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | of a secular program of education, may not be effected | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | consistently with the First Amendment.". | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | (4) Justice Clark also stated, "In addition, it might | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
24 | well be said that one's education is not complete without a |
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1 | study of comparative religion or the history of religion | ||||||
2 | and its relationship to the advancement of civilization. It | ||||||
3 | certainly may be said that the Bible is worthy of study for | ||||||
4 | its literary and historic qualities.". | ||||||
5 | (5) Public school courses involving the study of the | ||||||
6 | Bible have spread to at least 43 states, and at least 7 | ||||||
7 | state legislatures (Oklahoma, Missouri, Arizona, | ||||||
8 | Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and Texas) have approved laws | ||||||
9 | encouraging some form of Bible study. | ||||||
10 | It is, therefore, the policy of the State of Illinois that, | ||||||
11 | in seeking to provide the best education for this State's | ||||||
12 | students, a course in the Bible for purposes of learning of its | ||||||
13 | influence on the arts, music, civilizations, the Founding | ||||||
14 | Fathers, presidents, ethics, history, and the laws of our | ||||||
15 | federal and State governments would be of good educational | ||||||
16 | benefit to our students. | ||||||
17 | Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section | ||||||
18 | 27-21.5 as follows: | ||||||
19 | (105 ILCS 5/27-21.5 new) | ||||||
20 | Sec. 27-21.5. Courses in history and literature of the Old | ||||||
21 | and New Testament eras. | ||||||
22 | (a) Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, public | ||||||
23 | schools may include in their curriculum, for students in grades | ||||||
24 | 3 through 12, a course in the history and literature of the Old |
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1 | Testament era and a course in the history and literature of the | ||||||
2 | New Testament era. The purpose of such courses shall be to | ||||||
3 | teach and study the Old and New Testaments and to familiarize | ||||||
4 | students with the contents of the Old and New Testaments, the | ||||||
5 | history recorded by the Old and New Testaments, the literary | ||||||
6 | style and structure of the Old and New Testaments, the customs | ||||||
7 | and cultures of the peoples and societies recorded in the Old | ||||||
8 | and New Testaments, and the influence of the Old and New | ||||||
9 | Testaments upon law, history, government, literature, art, | ||||||
10 | music, customs, morals, values, and culture. | ||||||
11 | (b) No later than May 1, 2017, the State Board of Education | ||||||
12 | shall adopt a curriculum for each course under this Section, | ||||||
13 | including objectives, reading materials, and lesson plans, | ||||||
14 | which has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of | ||||||
15 | this subsection (b). | ||||||
16 | The book or collection of books commonly known as the Old | ||||||
17 | Testament shall be the basic text for the course in the history | ||||||
18 | and literature of the Old Testament era, and the book or | ||||||
19 | collection of books commonly known as the New Testament shall | ||||||
20 | be the basic text for the course in the history and literature | ||||||
21 | of the New Testament era. In addition, students may be assigned | ||||||
22 | a range of reading materials for the courses, including | ||||||
23 | selections from secular historical and cultural works and | ||||||
24 | selections from other religious and cultural traditions. The | ||||||
25 | courses shall familiarize students with the customs and | ||||||
26 | cultures of the times and places referred to in the Old and New |
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1 | Testaments. The courses shall familiarize the students with the | ||||||
2 | methods and tools of writing at the times the Old and New | ||||||
3 | Testament books were written, the means by which they were | ||||||
4 | preserved, the languages in which they were written and into | ||||||
5 | which they were translated, and the historical and cultural | ||||||
6 | events that led to the translation of the Old and New | ||||||
7 | Testaments into the English language. School districts may | ||||||
8 | recommend which version of the Old or New Testament is to be | ||||||
9 | used in the course, provided that the teacher of the course | ||||||
10 | must not be required to adopt that recommendation but may use | ||||||
11 | the recommended version or another version. No student may be | ||||||
12 | required to use one version as the sole text of the Old or New | ||||||
13 | Testament. If a student desires to use as the basic text a | ||||||
14 | different version of the Old or New Testament from that chosen | ||||||
15 | by the school district or teacher, the student must be | ||||||
16 | permitted to do so. | ||||||
17 | The courses provided for in this Section shall: | ||||||
18 | (1) be taught in an objective and non-devotional manner | ||||||
19 | with no attempt made to indoctrinate students as to either | ||||||
20 | the truth or falsity of the biblical materials or texts | ||||||
21 | from other religious or cultural traditions; | ||||||
22 | (2) not include the teaching of religious doctrine or | ||||||
23 | sectarian interpretation of the Bible or of texts from | ||||||
24 | other religious or cultural traditions; | ||||||
25 | (3) not disparage or encourage a commitment to a set of | ||||||
26 | religious beliefs; and |
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1 | (4) not disparage or criticize the content within the | ||||||
2 | Old and New Testaments. | ||||||
3 | (c) The provisions of this Code relating to personnel | ||||||
4 | employed by a school district, including, without limitation, | ||||||
5 | licensure requirements, employment, and supervision, shall | ||||||
6 | apply to persons who teach the courses provided for in this | ||||||
7 | Section. In addition, no person may be assigned to teach such | ||||||
8 | courses based in whole or in part on any religious test, | ||||||
9 | profession of faith or lack thereof, prior or present religious | ||||||
10 | affiliation or lack of affiliation, or criteria involving | ||||||
11 | particular beliefs or lack thereof about the Bible. Except as | ||||||
12 | specified in this subsection (c), the qualifications and | ||||||
13 | training of teachers shall be determined by the school board. | ||||||
14 | (d) A school board may make such arrangements for | ||||||
15 | monitoring the content and teaching of the course in the | ||||||
16 | history and literature of the Old Testament era and the course | ||||||
17 | in the history and literature of the New Testament era as it | ||||||
18 | deems appropriate.
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19 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
20 | becoming law.
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