Illinois Genocide Curriculum Mandate

Public Act 094-0478 was enacted in 2005 by the Illinois Legislature.  The legislation was introduced as HB312 in the Illinois House by Rep. John A. Fritchey (D-11) and Rep. Paul D. Froehlich (R-56), and in the Senate by Sen. Jacqueline Collins (D-16) and Sen. Ira Silverstein (D-8).  The legislation stated that:

"such curriculum shall include an additional unit of instruction studying other acts of genocide across the globe. This unit shall include, but not be limited to, the Armenian Genocide, the Famine-Genocide in Ukraine, and more recent atrocities in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda, and Sudan."

The full text of PA 094-0478 is included below.

 

Public Act 094-0478

HB0312 Enrolled LRB094 05143 RAS 35183 b

AN ACT concerning schools.

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 Section

27-20.3 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/27-20.3)  (from Ch. 122, par. 27-20.3)

Sec. 27-20.3. Holocaust and Genocide Study. Every public

elementary school and high school shall include in its

curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of the

Nazi atrocities of 1933 to 1945. This period in world history

is known as the Holocaust, during which 6,000,000 Jews and

millions of non-Jews were exterminated. One of the universal

lessons of the Holocaust is that national, ethnic, racial, or

religious hatred can overtake any nation or society, leading to

calamitous consequences. To reinforce that lesson, such

curriculum shall include an additional unit of instruction

studying other acts of genocide across the globe. This unit

shall include, but not be limited to, the Armenian Genocide,

the Famine-Genocide in Ukraine, and more recent atrocities in

Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda, and Sudan. The studying of this

material is a reaffirmation of the commitment of free peoples

from all nations to never again permit the occurrence of

another Holocaust and a recognition that crimes of genocide

continue to be perpetrated across the globe as they have been

in the past and to deter indifference to crimes against

humanity and human suffering wherever they may occur.

The State Superintendent of Education may prepare and make

available to all school boards instructional materials 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. 86-780.)

Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding

Section 8.29 as follows:

(30 ILCS 805/8.29 new)

Sec. 8.29. 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 94th General Assembly.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.