103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB3511

 

Introduced 2/9/2024, by Sen. Mike Simmons

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act
105 ILCS 5/2-3.24  from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.24

    Creates the Let America Read Act. Provides that an entity or an entity's staff with oversight over the books, instructional materials, or curriculum used in a public school may not refuse to approve or prohibit the use of books, instructional materials, or a curriculum, including, but not limited to, memoirs, autobiographies, and biographies, based upon the depiction of matters of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, sexual and reproductive health, gender identity, religion, or human rights activism. Provides that these provisions do not restrict an entity with oversight over the books, instructional materials, or curriculum used in a public school from imposing limitations on the access to books, instructional materials, or a curriculum based upon the age and developmental level of the students who will have access. Amends the School Code to set forth a penalty for a school district that violates the Act.


LRB103 39392 RJT 69572 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3511LRB103 39392 RJT 69572 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Let
5America Read Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definition. As used in this Act, "entity" means
7a unit of State government or local government.
 
8    Section 10. Prohibiting book, instructional material, or
9curriculum bans.
10    (a) An entity or an entity's staff with oversight over the
11books, instructional materials, or curriculum used in a public
12school may not refuse to approve or prohibit the use of books,
13instructional materials, or a curriculum, including, but not
14limited to, memoirs, autobiographies, and biographies, based
15upon the depiction in the books, instructional materials, or
16curriculum of matters of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation,
17sexual and reproductive health, gender identity, religion, or
18human rights activism.
19    (b) This Section does not restrict an entity with
20oversight over the books, instructional materials, or
21curriculum used in a public school from imposing limitations
22on the access to books, instructional materials, or a

 

 

SB3511- 2 -LRB103 39392 RJT 69572 b

1curriculum based upon the age and developmental level of the
2students who will have access to the books, instructional
3materials, or curriculum.
 
4    Section 90. The School Code is amended by changing Section
52-3.24 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.24)  (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.24)
7    Sec. 2-3.24. Withholding funds from school officer or
8teacher. To require the Comptroller, regional superintendent
9of schools, trustees, township treasurer, directors or other
10school officer to withhold from any township, district,
11officer or teacher any part of the common school, township or
12other school fund (i) until such treasurer, officer or teacher
13has made all schedules, reports and returns required of such
14officer him by this Code Act and until the such officer has
15executed and filed all official bonds and accounted for all
16common school, township or other school funds which have come
17into the officer's his hands or (ii) if a school district is in
18violation of Section 10 of the Instructional Materials in
19Schools Act, until the school district is in compliance with
20Section 10 of the Instructional Materials in Schools Act.
21(Source: P.A. 88-641, eff. 9-9-94.)