093_SB0890

 
                                     LRB093 10614 NHT 10900 b

 1        AN ACT concerning education.

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

 4        Section 5. The School Code is amended by  adding  Section
 5    27-20.7 as follows:

 6        (105 ILCS 5/27-20.7 new)
 7        Sec. 27-20.7.  Asian History Study.
 8        (a)  Every public elementary school and high school shall
 9    include  in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the
10    events of Asian History, including South Asia and the Pacific
11    Islands.  These   events   shall   include   not   only   the
12    contributions   made   by   individual   Asian-Americans   in
13    government  and  in the arts, humanities, and sciences to the
14    economic, cultural, and political development of  the  United
15    States  and  Asia  but also the struggle that Asian-Americans
16    experience collectively in striving to achieve fair and equal
17    treatment under the laws of this nation. The studying of this
18    material shall constitute an affirmation by students of their
19    commitment to respect the dignity of all  races  and  peoples
20    and  to  forever eschew every form of discrimination in their
21    lives and careers.
22        (b)  The State Superintendent of  Education  may  prepare
23    and   make  available  to  all  school  boards  instructional
24    materials that may be used as guidelines for the  development
25    of  a  unit  of instruction under this Section, provided that
26    each school board shall itself determine the  minimum  amount
27    of  instruction  time that qualifies as a unit of instruction
28    satisfying the requirements of this Section.

29        Section 90.  The State Mandates Act is amended by  adding
30    Section 8.27 as follows:
 
                            -2-      LRB093 10614 NHT 10900 b
 1        (30 ILCS 805/8.27 new)
 2        Sec.  8.27.  Exempt  mandate.  Notwithstanding Sections 6
 3    and 8 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is  required
 4    for  the  implementation  of  any  mandate  created  by  this
 5    amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly.

 6        Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect on July
 7    1, 2003.