Public Act 0044 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB0376 Enrolled LRB102 02811 CMG 12819 b

Public Act 102-0044

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 27-20.8 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/27-20.8 new)

Sec. 27-20.8. Asian American history study.

(a) Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Asian American history, including the history of Asian Americans in Illinois and the Midwest, as well as the contributions of Asian Americans toward advancing civil rights from the 19th century onward. These events shall include the contributions made by individual Asian Americans in government and the arts, humanities, and sciences, as well as the contributions of Asian 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 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 his or her annual compliance visit.

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