Bill Text: IL SB3511 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: 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.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-16 - Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Karina Villa [SB3511 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SB3511-Introduced.html

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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
SB3511 LRB103 39392 RJT 69572 b
AN ACT concerning education.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Let
America Read Act.
Section 5. Definition. As used in this Act, "entity" means
a unit of State government or local government.
Section 10. Prohibiting book, instructional material, or
curriculum bans.
(a) 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 in the books, instructional materials, or
curriculum of matters of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation,
sexual and reproductive health, gender identity, religion, or
human rights activism.
(b) This Section does 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

SB3511 - 2 - LRB103 39392 RJT 69572 b
curriculum based upon the age and developmental level of the
students who will have access to the books, instructional
materials, or curriculum.
Section 90. The School Code is amended by changing Section
2-3.24 as follows: