Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB2997

LRB104 08469 LNS 18521 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB2997

Introduced 2/6/2025, by Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/27-23.19 new

Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Arab American history, including the history of Arab Americans in the State and the Midwest, as well as the contributions of Arab Americans from the 19th century onward. Provides that the State Superintendent of Education may prepare and make available to all school boards instructional materials, including those established by the Public Broadcasting Service, that may be used as guidelines for the development of the unit of instruction. Provides that each school board shall determine the minimum amount of instructional time that qualifies as a unit of instruction. Provides that the regional superintendent of schools shall monitor a school district's compliance with the curricular requirements during the regional superintendent's annual compliance visit. Provides that a school may meet the requirements through an online program or course. Effective immediately.

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 adding Section 27-23.19 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/27-23.19 new)

Sec. 27-23.19. Arab American History Study.

(a) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Arab American history, including the history of Arab Americans in this State and the Midwest, as well as the contributions of Arab Americans from the 19th century onward. These events shall include the contributions made by individual Arab Americans in government and the arts, humanities, and sciences, as well as the contributions of Arab American communities to the economic, cultural, social, and political development of the United States. The studying of this material shall constitute an affirmation by students of their commitment to respect the dignity of all races and peoples and to forever eschew every form of discrimination in their lives and careers.

(b) The State Superintendent of Education may prepare and make available to all school boards instructional materials, including those established by the Public Broadcasting Service, that may be used as guidelines for the development of a unit of instruction under this Section. However, each school board shall itself determine the minimum amount of instructional time that qualifies as a unit of instruction satisfying the requirements of this Section.

(c) The regional superintendent of schools shall monitor a school district's compliance with this Section's curricular requirements during the regional superintendent's annual compliance visit.

(d) A school may meet the requirements of this Section through an online program or course.

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