HB0017 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB096 02974 NHT 12988 b

96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
HB0017

Introduced 1/14/2009, by Rep. Mary E. Flowers

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/24-2	from Ch. 122, par. 24-2
105 ILCS 5/27-20.4	from Ch. 122, par. 27-20.4
30 ILCS 805/8.33 new

Amends the School Code. Adds as commemorative holidays January 15 (to be known as Humanitarian Day and observed as a day of respect for the principles of human and civil rights and to involve the use of the color white as a visual affirmation to practice these principles), April 4 (to be known as Victims of Violence Wholly Day and observed as a day of respect for the principles of non-violence and to involve the use of the color black as a visual affirmation to practice these principles), and August 28 (to be known as Dream Day and observed as a day of respect for the spiritual and moral principles of peoplehood and to involve the use of the colors black and white as a visual affirmation to practice these principles). Requires the study of Black History to include the Gettysburg Address, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream Speech", and President Barack Obama's victory speech. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

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 changing Sections 24-2 and 27-20.4 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/24-2) (from Ch. 122, par. 24-2)

Sec. 24-2. Holidays. Teachers shall not be required to teach on Saturdays; nor shall teachers or other school employees, other than noncertificated school employees whose presence is necessary because of an emergency or for the continued operation and maintenance of school facilities or property, be required to work on legal school holidays, which are January 1, New Year's Day; the third Monday in January, the Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; February 12, the Birthday of President Abraham Lincoln; the first Monday in March (to be known as Casimir Pulaski's birthday); Good Friday; the day designated as Memorial Day by federal law; July 4, Independence Day; the first Monday in September, Labor Day; the second Monday in October, Columbus Day; November 11, Veteran's Day; the Thursday in November commonly called Thanksgiving Day; and December 25, Christmas Day. School boards may grant special holidays whenever in their judgment such action is advisable. No deduction shall be made from the time or compensation of a school employee on account of any legal or special holiday.

Commemorative holidays, which recognize specified patriotic, civic, cultural or historical persons, activities, or events, are regular school days. Commemorative holidays are: January 15 (to be known as Humanitarian Day and observed as a day of respect for the principles of human and civil rights and to involve the use of the color white as a visual affirmation to practice these principles), January 28 (to be known as Christa McAuliffe Day and observed as a commemoration of space exploration), February 15 (the birthday of Susan B. Anthony), March 29 (Viet Nam War Veterans Day), April 4 (to be known as Victims of Violence Wholly Day and observed as a day of respect for the principles of non-violence and to involve the use of the color black as a visual affirmation to practice these principles), August 28 (to be known as Dream Day and observed as a day of respect for the spiritual and moral principles of peoplehood and to involve the use of the colors black and white as a visual affirmation to practice these principles), September 11 (September 11th Day of Remembrance), the school day immediately preceding Veteran's Day (Korean War Veterans Day), October 1 (Recycling Day), December 7 (Pearl Harbor Veterans Day) and any day so appointed by the President or Governor. School boards may establish commemorative holidays whenever in their judgment such action is advisable. School boards shall include instruction relative to commemorated persons, activities, or events on the commemorative holiday or at any other time during the school year and at any point in the curriculum when such instruction may be deemed appropriate. The State Board of Education shall prepare and make available to school boards instructional materials relative to commemorated persons, activities, or events which may be used by school boards in conjunction with any instruction provided pursuant to this paragraph.

City of Chicago School District 299 shall observe March 4 of each year as a commemorative holiday. This holiday shall be known as Mayors' Day which shall be a day to commemorate and be reminded of the past Chief Executive Officers of the City of Chicago, and in particular the late Mayor Richard J. Daley and the late Mayor Harold Washington. If March 4 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, Mayors' Day shall be observed on the following Monday.

(Source: P.A. 95-699, eff. 11-9-07.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-20.4) (from Ch. 122, par. 27-20.4)

Sec. 27-20.4. Black History Study. Every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Black History, including (i) the history of the African slave trade, slavery in America, and the vestiges of slavery in this country and (ii) the Gettysburg Address, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream Speech" of August 28, 1963, and President Barack Obama's victory speech of November 4, 2008. These events shall include not only the contributions made by individual African-Americans in government and in the arts, humanities and sciences to the economic, cultural and political development of the United States and Africa, but also the socio-economic struggle which African-Americans experienced collectively in striving to achieve fair and equal treatment under the laws of this nation. 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.

The State Superintendent of Education may prepare and make available to all school boards instructional materials, including those established by the Amistad Commission, which may be used as guidelines for development of a unit of instruction under this Section; provided, however, that each school board shall itself determine the minimum amount of instruction time which shall qualify as a unit of instruction satisfying the requirements of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 94-285, eff. 7-21-05.)

Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding Section 8.33 as follows:

(30 ILCS 805/8.33 new)

Sec. 8.33. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and 8 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for the implementation of any mandate created by this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly.