State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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91_HB1953enr

 
HB1953 Enrolled                                LRB9105701MWgc

 1        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  State Commemorative Dates Act by
 2    adding Section 110.

 3        WHEREAS, Civic prayers and national days of prayer have a
 4    long and venerable history in  our  constitutional  republic,
 5    dating back to the First Continental Congress in 1775; and

 6        WHEREAS,  The  Declaration  of  Independence,  our  first
 7    statement as Americans of national purpose and identity, made
 8    "the  Laws  of Nature and Nature's God" the foundation of our
 9    United States  of  America  and  asserted  that  people  have
10    inalienable rights that are God-given; and

11        WHEREAS,  President  Truman  proclaimed a National Day of
12    Prayer in 1952; and

13        WHEREAS, The United States Supreme Court has affirmed the
14    right of state  legislatures  to  open  their  sessions  with
15    prayer,  and both houses of the Illinois General Assembly, as
16    well as the United States Supreme Court and the United States
17    Congress themselves, begin each day with prayer; and

18        WHEREAS, In 1988, legislation  setting  aside  the  first
19    Thursday  in May of each year as a National Day of Prayer was
20    passed unanimously by both Houses of Congress and  signed  by
21    President Ronald Reagan; and

22        WHEREAS, The National Day of Prayer is an opportunity for
23    Americans   of  all  faiths  to  join  in  united  prayer  to
24    acknowledge  our  dependence  on  God,  to  give  thanks  for
25    blessings received, to request healing  for  wounds  endured,
26    and  to  ask  God to guide our leaders and bring wholeness to
27    the United States and her citizens; and

28        WHEREAS, It is fitting and proper to give thanks  to  God
29    by  observing  a  day  of  prayer  in  Illinois  when all may
30    acknowledge our blessings and  express  gratitude  for  them,
31    while  recognizing  the  need for strengthening religious and
 
HB1953 Enrolled             -2-                LRB9105701MWgc
 1    moral values in our State and nation; therefore

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

 4        Section  5.  The State Commemorative Dates Act is amended
 5    by adding Section 110 as follows:

 6        (5 ILCS 490/110 new)
 7        Sec. 110.  Day of Prayer in Illinois.  The first Thursday
 8    in May of each year is designated  as  a  Day  of  Prayer  in
 9    Illinois,  and  the citizens of Illinois are urged to observe
10    the  day  in  ways  appropriate   to   its   importance   and
11    significance.

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

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