Public Act 0410 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB0165 Enrolled LRB099 00228 NHT 20232 b

Public Act 099-0410

AN ACT concerning education.

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

Section 5. The Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act is amended by changing Section 5 as follows:

(105 ILCS 20/5)

Sec. 5. Student prayer. For purpose of this Section, "noninstructional time" means time set aside by a school before actual classroom instruction begins or after actual classroom instruction ends. In order that the right of every student to the free exercise of religion is guaranteed within the public schools and that each student has the freedom to not be subject to pressure from the State either to engage in or to refrain from religious observation on public school grounds, students in the public schools may, during the school day, during noninstructional time, voluntarily engage in individually or collectively initiated, non-disruptive prayer or religious-based meetings, including without limitation prayer groups, B I B L E (Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth) clubs, or "meet at the flagpole for prayer" days, that, consistent with the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses of the United States and Illinois Constitutions, are is not sponsored, promoted, or endorsed in any manner by the school or any school employee.

(Source: P.A. 92-832, eff. 1-1-03.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.

Effective Date: 8/20/2015