Text of IL SB 3511 (2024)

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 SB3511LRB103 39392 RJT 69572 b 1 AN ACT concerning education. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Let 5America Read Act. 6 Section 5. Definition. As used in this Act, "entity" means 7a unit of State government or local government. 8 Section 10. Prohibiting book, instructional material, or 9curriculum bans. 10 (a) An entity or an entity's staff with oversight over the 11books, instructional materials, or curriculum used in a public 12school may not refuse to approve or prohibit the use of books, 13instructional materials, or a curriculum, including, but not 14limited to, memoirs, autobiographies, and biographies, based 15upon the depiction in the books, instructional materials, or 16curriculum of matters of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, 17sexual and reproductive health, gender identity, religion, or 18human rights activism. 19 (b) This Section does not restrict an entity with 20oversight over the books, instructional materials, or 21curriculum used in a public school from imposing limitations 22on the access to books, instructional materials, or a SB3511- 2 -LRB103 39392 RJT 69572 b 1curriculum based upon the age and developmental level of the 2students who will have access to the books, instructional 3materials, or curriculum. 4 Section 90. The School Code is amended by changing Section 52-3.24 as follows: