SB2821 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 15185 LNS 28329 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB2821

Introduced 1/13/2026, by Sen. Chris Balkema

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/10-20.88 new
105 ILCS 5/34-18.88 new

Amends the School Code. Provides that the school board of each school district shall report for each of the school district's schools specified information regarding learning materials and activities used for student instruction in a prominent location on the school district's website. Requires a school board to provide updated information on the school district's website by January 1 and August 1 of each year and more frequently as the school board deems appropriate. Provides that nothing may be construed to require: (1) the publication of a digital reproduction of learning materials on a school district's website; or (2) a separate listing of the individual components of learning materials produced as a single volume. Allows a school district to: (1) update the report and post the updated report on the school district's website on an ongoing basis during the school year, as long as the updated report is completed by January 1 and August 1; and (2) use a collaborative online document or spreadsheet software that allows multiple authorized users to update or make additions to the report on an ongoing basis, as long as a link to the report is publicly accessible on the school district's website. Requires each school district's report to remain publicly available on the school district's website at least until the next report for the year is completed and made publicly available on the school district's website. Provides that each school district's report shall include a step-by-step process on how a parent or guardian of a student attending a school within the school district can opt-out a child from any learning materials or activities provided by the school if the learning materials or activities conflict with the student's religious beliefs. Effective July 1, 2026.

A BILL FOR

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 Sections 10-20.88 and 34-18.88 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/10-20.88 new)

Sec. 10-20.88. Learning materials and activities report.

(a) In this Section:

"Activities" includes, but is not limited to, student assemblies, guest lectures, educational events facilitated by a school's administration or staff, or educational events conducted by outside individuals or organizations.

"Learning materials" includes, but is not limited to, any of the following:

(1) instructional material that consists of content that conveys to a student through a medium or a combination of media the essential knowledge, information, and skills pertaining to a subject included in a public school's curriculum. In this paragraph, "instructional material" includes: a book or books; workbooks; supplementary materials; a combination of a book or books, workbooks, and supplementary materials; computer software, magnetic media, DVDs, CD-ROMs, computer courseware, online services, or an electronic medium; or other means of conveying information to a student or otherwise contributing to the learning process through electronic means, including through open education resource instructional material as described in paragraph (2);

(2) open education resource instructional material that consists of teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license and allows for the free use, reuse, modification, and sharing of resources with others. In this paragraph, "open education resource instructional material" includes full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests or exams, software, or any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge, and also includes State-developed open education resource instructional material;

(3) teaching aids; and

(4) any other material used for student instruction in which a student has the option to select the material. In this paragraph, "used for student instruction" means assigned, provided, or otherwise presented to a school's students in (i) any course for which students receive academic credit or (ii) any educational capacity in which participation of the student body is required by the school or in which a majority of the students in a particular grade level participate.

(b) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, the school board of each school district shall report for each of the school district's schools the following information in a prominent location on the school district's website:

(1) a list of the learning materials and activities that are to be used for student instruction during the school year. The list of learning materials and activities shall be organized, at a minimum, by grade level and subject area; and

(2) any procedures that are in effect at each school for the documentation, review, or approval by the school's administrators, principal, or teachers of the learning materials and activities used for student instruction.

(c) Under this Section, a school board shall provide updated information on the school district's website by January 1 and August 1 of each year and more frequently as the school board deems appropriate. A school board is not required to report only the information that is necessary to identify the specific learning materials and activities used for student instruction at each school. The information reported must include the title and the author, the name of the organization, or the Internet address, as appropriate, associated with each of the learning materials or activities. Nothing in this Section may be construed to require:

(1) the publication of a digital reproduction of learning materials on a school district's website; or

(2) a separate listing of the individual components of learning materials produced as a single volume. However, if the volume contains works by multiple authors, the listing shall provide either a table of contents or an Internet address that discloses the discrete works and authors contained within the volume.

(d) Under this Section, a school district may, but is not required to:

(1) update the report and post the updated report on the school district's website on an ongoing basis during the school year, as long as the updated report is completed by January 1 and August 1; and

(2) use a collaborative online document or spreadsheet software that allows multiple authorized users to update or make additions to the report on an ongoing basis, as long as a link to the report is publicly accessible on the school district's website.

(e) Each school district's report under this Section shall remain publicly available on the school district's website at least until the next report for the year is completed and made publicly available on the school district's website.

(f) Each school district's report shall include a step-by-step process on how a parent or guardian of a student attending a school within the school district can opt-out a child from any learning materials or activities provided by the school if the learning materials or activities conflict with the student's religious beliefs. If a parent submits to a school district that the parent wishes to opt a child out of any learning materials or activities provided by a school, the school shall not give the student the opted-out learning materials or include that student in the opted-out activity.

(105 ILCS 5/34-18.88 new)

Sec. 34-18.88. Learning materials and activities report.

(a) In this Section:

"Activities" includes, but is not limited to, student assemblies, guest lectures, educational events facilitated by a school's administration or staff, or educational events conducted by outside individuals or organizations.

"Learning materials" includes, but is not limited to, any of the following:

(1) instructional material that consists of content that conveys to a student through a medium or a combination of media the essential knowledge, information, and skills pertaining to a subject included in a public school's curriculum. In this paragraph, "instructional material" includes: a book or books; workbooks; supplementary materials; a combination of a book or books, workbooks, and supplementary materials; computer software, magnetic media, DVDs, CD-ROMs, computer courseware, online services, or an electronic medium; or other means of conveying information to a student or otherwise contributing to the learning process through electronic means, including through open education resource instructional material as described in paragraph (2);

(2) open education resource instructional material that consists of teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license and allows for the free use, reuse, modification, and sharing of resources with others. In this paragraph, "open education resource instructional material" includes full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests or exams, software, or any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge, and also includes State-developed open education resource instructional material;

(3) teaching aids; and

(4) any other material used for student instruction in which a student has the option to select the material. In this paragraph, "used for student instruction" means assigned, provided, or otherwise presented to a school's students in (i) any course for which students receive academic credit or (ii) any educational capacity in which participation of the student body is required by the school or in which a majority of the students in a particular grade level participate.

(b) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, the board shall report for the each of the school district's schools the following information in a prominent location on the school district's website:

(1) a list of the learning materials and activities that are to be used for student instruction during the school year. The list of learning materials and activities shall be organized, at a minimum, by grade level and subject area; and

(2) any procedures that are in effect at each school for the documentation, review, or approval by the school's administrators, principal, or teachers of the learning materials and activities used for student instruction.

(c) Under this Section, the board shall provide updated information on the school district's website by January 1 and August 1 of each year and more frequently as the board deems appropriate. The board is not required to report only the information that is necessary to identify the specific learning materials and activities used for student instruction at each school. The information reported must include the title and the author, the name of the organization, or the Internet address, as appropriate, associated with each of the learning materials or activities. Nothing in this Section may be construed to require:

(1) the publication of a digital reproduction of learning materials on the school district's website; or

(2) a separate listing of the individual components of learning materials produced as a single volume. However, if the volume contains works by multiple authors, the listing shall provide either a table of contents or an Internet address that discloses the discrete works and authors contained within the volume.

(d) Under this Section, the school district may, but is not required to:

(1) update the report and post the updated report on the school district's website on an ongoing basis during the school year, as long as the updated report is completed by January 1 and August 1; and

(2) use a collaborative online document or spreadsheet software that allows multiple authorized users to update or make additions to the report on an ongoing basis, as long as a link to the report is publicly accessible on the school district's website.

(e) The school district's report under this Section shall remain publicly available on the school district's website at least until the next report for the year is completed and made publicly available on the school district's website.

(f) The school district's report shall include a step-by-step process on how a parent or guardian of a student attending a school within the school district can opt-out a child from any learning materials or activities provided by the school if the learning materials or activities conflict with the student's religious beliefs. If a parent submits to a school district that the parent wishes to opt a child out of any learning materials or activities provided by a school, the school shall not give the student the opted-out learning materials or include that student in the opted-out activity.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2026.