SCH CD-EXEMPT FOREIGN LANG REQ

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB3301

Introduced 2/3/2026, by Sen. Chris Balkema

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/27-605

was 105 ILCS 5/27-22

Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that
a school district is exempt from requiring pupils, beginning with the
2028-2029 school year, to complete 2 years of foreign language in order to
graduate if the school district sends a written request to waive the
requirement to the State Board of Education and includes evidence in the
request that the school district does not have the employees necessary to
provide 2 years of foreign language education to all pupils in secondary
school within the school district. Provides that after receiving a written
request from a school district, the State Superintendent of Education
shall approve the request if the evidence included in the request is
determined by the State Superintendent to be sufficient. Provides that a
pupil is exempt from the 2-year foreign language requirement if the pupil
or a school counselor, in consultation with the pupil, develops a
postsecondary plan that is centered around postsecondary opportunities
that do not include postsecondary education through an institution of
higher education. Provides that the pupil or the school counselor shall
send the postsecondary plan to the superintendent of the school district
in order to be exempt from the 2-year foreign language requirement.
Effective July 1, 2026.
LRB104 19166 LNS 32611 b

A BILL FOR

SB3301
LRB104 19166 LNS 32611 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
27-605 as follows:

6

(105 ILCS 5/27-605)

(was 105 ILCS 5/27-22)
7

Sec. 27-605.
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

SB3301
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LRB104 19166 LNS 32611 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.
26

School districts may utilize private funding available for

SB3301
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LRB104 19166 LNS 32611 b
1

the purposes of offering civics education. Beginning with
2

pupils entering the 9th grade in the 2021-2022 school
3

year, one semester, or part of one semester, may include a
4

financial literacy course.
5

(6) One year chosen from (A) music, (B) art, (C)
6

foreign language, which shall be deemed to include
7

American Sign Language, (D) vocational education, or (E)
8

forensic speech (speech and debate). A forensic speech
9

course used to satisfy the course requirement under
10

subdivision (1) may not be used to satisfy the course
11

requirement under this subdivision (6).
12

(e-5) Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, as a
13
prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, each pupil
14
entering the 9th grade must, in addition to other course
15
requirements, successfully complete all of the following
16
courses:
17

(1) Four years of language arts.
18

(2) Two years of writing intensive courses, one of
19

which must be English and the other of which may be English
20

or any other subject. If applicable, writing-intensive
21

courses may be counted toward the fulfillment of other
22

graduation requirements.
23

(3) Three years of mathematics, one of which must be
24

Algebra I, one of which must include geometry content, and
25

one of which may be an Advanced Placement computer science
26

course. A mathematics course that includes geometry

SB3301
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LRB104 19166 LNS 32611 b
1

content may be offered as an integrated, applied,
2

interdisciplinary, or career and technical education
3

course that prepares a student for a career readiness
4

path.
5

(3.5) One year of a course that includes intensive
6

instruction in computer literacy, which may be English,
7

social studies, or any other subject and which may be
8

counted toward the fulfillment of other graduation
9

requirements.
10

(4) Two years of laboratory science.
11

(5) Two years of social studies, of which at least one
12

year must be history of the United States or a combination
13

of history of the United States and American government
14

and at least one semester must be civics, which shall help
15

young people acquire and learn to use the skills,
16

knowledge, and attitudes that will prepare them to be
17

competent and responsible citizens throughout their lives.
18

Civics course content shall focus on government
19

institutions, the discussion of current and controversial
20

issues, service learning, and simulations of the
21

democratic process. School districts may utilize private
22

funding available for the purposes of offering civics
23

education. One semester, or part of one semester, may
24

include a financial literacy course.
25

(6) One year chosen from (A) music, (B) art, (C)
26

foreign language, which shall be deemed to include

SB3301
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LRB104 19166 LNS 32611 b
1

American Sign Language, (D) career and technical
2

education, or (E) forensic speech (speech and debate). A
3

forensic speech course used to satisfy the course
4

requirement under subdivision (1) may not be used to
5

satisfy the course requirement under this subdivision (6).
6

(e-10) Beginning with the 2028-2029 school year, as a
7
prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, each pupil
8
entering the 9th grade must, in addition to other course
9
requirements, successfully complete 2 years of foreign
10
language courses, which may include American Sign Language. A
11
pupil may choose a third year of foreign language to satisfy
12
the requirement under subdivision (6) of subsection (e-5).
13

A school district is exempt from requiring pupils to
14
complete 2 years of foreign language in order to graduate
15
under this subsection (e-10) if the school district sends a
16
written request to waive this requirement to the State Board
17
of Education and includes evidence in the request that the
18
school district does not have the employees necessary to
19
provide 2 years of foreign language education to all pupils in
20
secondary school within the school district. After receiving a
21
written request from a school district in compliance with this
22
subsection (e-10), the State Superintendent of Education, or
23
his or her designee, shall approve the request if the evidence
24
included in the request is determined by the State
25
Superintendent of Education, or his or her designee, to be
26
sufficient.

SB3301
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LRB104 19166 LNS 32611 b
1

A pupil is exempt from the 2-year foreign language
2
requirement under this subsection (e-10) if the pupil or a
3
school counselor, in consultation with the pupil, develops a
4
postsecondary plan, as specified in Section 10-22.24b, that is
5
centered around postsecondary opportunities that do not
6
include postsecondary education through an institution of
7
higher education. The pupil or the school counselor shall send
8
the postsecondary plan to the superintendent of the school
9
district in order to be exempt from the 2-year foreign
10
language requirement under this subsection (e-10).

11

(f) The State Board of Education shall develop and inform
12
school districts of standards for writing-intensive
13
coursework.
14

(f-5) If a school district offers an Advanced Placement
15
computer science course to high school students, then the
16
school board must designate that course as equivalent to a
17
high school mathematics course and must denote on the
18
student's transcript that the Advanced Placement computer
19
science course qualifies as a mathematics-based, quantitative
20
course for students in accordance with subdivision (3) of
21
subsection (e) of this Section.
22

(g) Public Act 83-1082 does not apply to pupils entering
23
the 9th grade in 1983-1984 school year and prior school years
24
or to students with disabilities whose course of study is
25
determined by an individualized education program.
26

Public Act 94-676 does not apply to pupils entering the

SB3301
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LRB104 19166 LNS 32611 b
1
9th grade in the 2004-2005 school year or a prior school year
2
or to students with disabilities whose course of study is
3
determined by an individualized education program.
4

Subdivision (3.5) of subsection (e) does not apply to
5
pupils entering the 9th grade in the 2021-2022 school year or a
6
prior school year or to students with disabilities whose
7
course of study is determined by an individualized education
8
program.
9

Subsection (e-5) does not apply to pupils entering the 9th
10
grade in the 2023-2024 school year or a prior school year or to
11
students with disabilities whose course of study is determined
12
by an individualized education program. Subsection (e-10) does
13
not apply to pupils entering the 9th grade in the 2027-2028
14
school year or a prior school year or to students with
15
disabilities whose course of study is determined by an
16
individualized education program.
17

(h) The provisions of this Section are subject to the
18
provisions of Sections 14A-32 and 27-610 of this Code and the
19
Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act.
20

(i) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to modify
21
the requirements of this Section for any students enrolled in
22
grades 9 through 12 if the Governor has declared a disaster due
23
to a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the
24
Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act.
25
(Source: P.A. 103-154, eff. 6-30-23; 103-743, eff. 8-2-24;
26
104-387, eff. 8-15-25; 104-391, eff. 8-15-25; revised

SB3301
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LRB104 19166 LNS 32611 b
1
9-24-25.)

2

Section 99.
Effective date.
This Act takes effect July 1,
3
2026.

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