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Full Text of HB3251
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HB3251 - 104th General Assembly
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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB3251
Introduced 2/18/2025, by Rep. Janet Yang Rohr
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/27-22
from Ch. 122, par. 27-22
Amends the School Code. Provides that each required civics class
shall guide students through the voter registration process, and if the
student is of eligible age, allow students to preregister to vote. Allows a
student or the student's parent or legal guardian to opt the student out of
preregistration.
LRB104 09623 LNS 19688 b
A BILL FOR
HB3251
LRB104 09623 LNS 19688 b
1
AN ACT concerning education.
2
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3
represented in the General Assembly:
4
Section 5.
The School Code is amended by changing Section
5
27-22 as follows:
6
(105 ILCS 5/27-22)
(from Ch. 122, par. 27-22)
7
Sec. 27-22.
Required high school courses.
8
(a) (Blank).
9
(b) (Blank).
10
(c) (Blank).
11
(d) (Blank).
12
(e) Through the 2023-2024 school year, as a prerequisite
13
to receiving a high school diploma, each pupil entering the
14
9th grade must, in addition to other course requirements,
15
successfully complete all of the following courses:
16
(1) Four years of language arts.
17
(2) Two years of writing intensive courses, one of
18
which must be English and the other of which may be English
19
or any other subject. When applicable, writing-intensive
20
courses may be counted towards the fulfillment of other
21
graduation requirements.
22
(3) Three years of mathematics, one of which must be
23
Algebra I, one of which must include geometry content, and
HB3251
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LRB104 09623 LNS 19688 b
1
one of which may be an Advanced Placement computer science
2
course. A mathematics course that includes geometry
3
content may be offered as an integrated, applied,
4
interdisciplinary, or career and technical education
5
course that prepares a student for a career readiness
6
path.
7
(3.5) For pupils entering the 9th grade in the
8
2022-2023 school year and 2023-2024 school year, one year
9
of a course that includes intensive instruction in
10
computer literacy, which may be English, social studies,
11
or any other subject and which may be counted toward the
12
fulfillment of other graduation requirements.
13
(4) Two years of science.
14
(5) Two years of social studies, of which at least one
15
year must be history of the United States or a combination
16
of history of the United States and American government
17
and, beginning with pupils entering the 9th grade in the
18
2016-2017 school year and each school year thereafter, at
19
least one semester must be civics, which shall help young
20
people acquire and learn to use the skills, knowledge, and
21
attitudes that will prepare them to be competent and
22
responsible citizens throughout their lives. Civics course
23
content shall focus on government institutions, the
24
discussion of current and controversial issues, service
25
learning, and simulations of the democratic process.
Each
26
required civics class shall guide students through the
HB3251
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LRB104 09623 LNS 19688 b
1
voter registration process, and if the student is of
2
eligible age in accordance with State law, allow students
3
to preregister to vote. A student or the student's parent
4
or legal guardian may opt the student out of
5
preregistration.
School districts may utilize private
6
funding available for the purposes of offering civics
7
education. Beginning with pupils entering the 9th grade in
8
the 2021-2022 school year, one semester, or part of one
9
semester, may include a financial literacy course.
10
(6) One year chosen from (A) music, (B) art, (C)
11
foreign language, which shall be deemed to include
12
American Sign Language, (D) vocational education, or (E)
13
forensic speech (speech and debate). A forensic speech
14
course used to satisfy the course requirement under
15
subdivision (1) may not be used to satisfy the course
16
requirement under this subdivision (6).
17
(e-5) Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, as a
18
prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, each pupil
19
entering the 9th grade must, in addition to other course
20
requirements, successfully complete all of the following
21
courses:
22
(1) Four years of language arts.
23
(2) Two years of writing intensive courses, one of
24
which must be English and the other of which may be English
25
or any other subject. If applicable, writing-intensive
26
courses may be counted toward the fulfillment of other
HB3251
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LRB104 09623 LNS 19688 b
1
graduation requirements.
2
(3) Three years of mathematics, one of which must be
3
Algebra I, one of which must include geometry content, and
4
one of which may be an Advanced Placement computer science
5
course. A mathematics course that includes geometry
6
content may be offered as an integrated, applied,
7
interdisciplinary, or career and technical education
8
course that prepares a student for a career readiness
9
path.
10
(3.5) One year of a course that includes intensive
11
instruction in computer literacy, which may be English,
12
social studies, or any other subject and which may be
13
counted toward the fulfillment of other graduation
14
requirements.
15
(4) Two years of laboratory science.
16
(5) Two years of social studies, of which at least one
17
year must be history of the United States or a combination
18
of history of the United States and American government
19
and at least one semester must be civics, which shall help
20
young people acquire and learn to use the skills,
21
knowledge, and attitudes that will prepare them to be
22
competent and responsible citizens throughout their lives.
23
Civics course content shall focus on government
24
institutions, the discussion of current and controversial
25
issues, service learning, and simulations of the
26
democratic process. School districts may utilize private
HB3251
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LRB104 09623 LNS 19688 b
1
funding available for the purposes of offering civics
2
education. One semester, or part of one semester, may
3
include a financial literacy course.
4
(6) One year chosen from (A) music, (B) art, (C)
5
foreign language, which shall be deemed to include
6
American Sign Language, (D) vocational education, or (E)
7
forensic speech (speech and debate). A forensic speech
8
course used to satisfy the course requirement under
9
subdivision (1) may not be used to satisfy the course
10
requirement under this subdivision (6).
11
(e-10) Beginning with the 2028-2029 school year, as a
12
prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, each pupil
13
entering the 9th grade must, in addition to other course
14
requirements, successfully complete 2 years of foreign
15
language courses, which may include American Sign Language. A
16
pupil may choose a third year of foreign language to satisfy
17
the requirement under subdivision (6) of subsection (e-5).
18
(f) The State Board of Education shall develop and inform
19
school districts of standards for writing-intensive
20
coursework.
21
(f-5) If a school district offers an Advanced Placement
22
computer science course to high school students, then the
23
school board must designate that course as equivalent to a
24
high school mathematics course and must denote on the
25
student's transcript that the Advanced Placement computer
26
science course qualifies as a mathematics-based, quantitative
HB3251
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LRB104 09623 LNS 19688 b
1
course for students in accordance with subdivision (3) of
2
subsection (e) of this Section.
3
(g) Public Act 83-1082 does not apply to pupils entering
4
the 9th grade in 1983-1984 school year and prior school years
5
or to students with disabilities whose course of study is
6
determined by an individualized education program.
7
Public Act 94-676 does not apply to pupils entering the
8
9th grade in the 2004-2005 school year or a prior school year
9
or to students with disabilities whose course of study is
10
determined by an individualized education program.
11
Subdivision (3.5) of subsection (e) does not apply to
12
pupils entering the 9th grade in the 2021-2022 school year or a
13
prior school year or to students with disabilities whose
14
course of study is determined by an individualized education
15
program.
16
Subsection (e-5) does not apply to pupils entering the 9th
17
grade in the 2023-2024 school year or a prior school year or to
18
students with disabilities whose course of study is determined
19
by an individualized education program. Subsection (e-10) does
20
not apply to pupils entering the 9th grade in the 2027-2028
21
school year or a prior school year or to students with
22
disabilities whose course of study is determined by an
23
individualized education program.
24
(h) The provisions of this Section are subject to the
25
provisions of Sections 14A-32 and 27-22.05 of this Code and
26
the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act.
HB3251
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LRB104 09623 LNS 19688 b
1
(i) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to modify
2
the requirements of this Section for any students enrolled in
3
grades 9 through 12 if the Governor has declared a disaster due
4
to a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the
5
Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act.
6
(Source: P.A. 102-366, eff. 8-13-21; 102-551, eff. 1-1-22;
7
102-864, eff. 5-13-22; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23; 103-743, eff.
8
8-2-24.)
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