Bill Text: IL HB2997 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Engrossed

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Bill Title: Amends 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 this State and the Midwest, as well as the contributions of Arab Americans from the 19th century onward. Effective immediately.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 25)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2026-03-13 - Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Theresa Mah [HB2997 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB2997-Engrossed.html

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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 changing Section
27-20.8 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/27-20.8)
Sec. 27-20.8. Asian American and Arab 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.

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(a-5) 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 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.

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(d) A school may meet the requirements of this Section
through an online program or course.
(Source: P.A. 102-44, eff. 1-1-22.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.