# Illinois HB2997: SCH CD-ARAB AMERICAN HISTORY Illinois HB2997, SCH CD-ARAB AMERICAN HISTORY, is a 104th General Assembly (2025–2026) House bill sponsored by no sponsor on record; status passed house, last action 2026-03-13 (Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Theresa Mah) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-HB2997-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Illinois HB2997 - State: Illinois - Session: 104th General Assembly (2025–2026) - Title: SCH CD-ARAB AMERICAN HISTORY - Status: passed house - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-06 - Last action: 2026-03-13, Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Theresa Mah - Sponsors: no sponsor on record - Cosponsors: 25 - Subjects: education policy, assignments, education - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 4 (155 yes, 81 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 0 ## Summary Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Arab American history, including the history of Arab Americans in the State and the Midwest, as well as the contributions of Arab Americans from the 19th century onward. Provides that the State Superintendent of Education may prepare and make available to all school boards instructional materials, including those established by the Public Broadcasting Service, that may be used as guidelines for the development of the unit of instruction. Provides that each school board shall determine the minimum amount of instructional time that qualifies as a unit of instruction. Provides that the regional superintendent of schools shall monitor a school district's compliance with the curricular requirements during the regional superintendent's annual compliance visit. Provides that a school may meet the requirements through an online program or course. Effective immediately. ## Bill overview No economic impacts identified for this bill. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Cosponsor: Abdelnasser Rashid (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Adriane L. Johnson (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Anne Stava (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Bill Cunningham (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Diane Blair-Sherlock (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Emanuel "Chris" Welch (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Graciela Guzmán (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Justin Slaughter (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Karina Villa (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Laura Faver Dias (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Lilian Jiménez (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Lisa Davis (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Marcus C. Evans, Jr. (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Maura Hirschauer (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Maurice A. West, II (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Michael Crawford (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Mike Porfirio (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Nabeela Syed (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Norma Hernandez (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Ram Villivalam (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Robert "Bob" Rita (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Sonya M. Harper (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Thaddeus Jones (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Theresa Mah (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Willie Preston (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-10 | House | Motion Prevailed | pass | 70 | 38 | | | 2025-04-10 | House | Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed | pass | 67 | 35 | | | 2025-04-09 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Recommends Be Adopted Education Policy Committee; | pass | 9 | 4 | | | 2025-03-20 | House | Do Pass / Short Debate Education Policy Committee; | pass | 9 | 4 | | ## Actions (56) - 2026-03-13: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Theresa Mah (House) - 2025-10-15: Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Ram Villivalam (Senate) - 2025-06-02: Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments (Senate) - 2025-05-23: Rule 2-10 Committee Deadline Established As June 1, 2025 (Senate) - 2025-05-22: Rule 2-10 Committee Deadline Established As May 23, 2025 (Senate) - 2025-05-22: Assigned to Education (Senate) - 2025-05-14: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Thaddeus Jones (House) - 2025-05-01: Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Karina Villa (Senate) - 2025-05-01: Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Graciela Guzmán (Senate) - 2025-04-30: Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Adriane L. Johnson (Senate) - 2025-04-30: Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Willie Preston (Senate) - 2025-04-30: Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Bill Cunningham (Senate) - 2025-04-30: Alternate Chief Sponsor Changed to Sen. Mike Porfirio (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Referred to Assignments (Senate) - 2025-04-14: First Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Bill Cunningham (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Arrive in Senate (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 067-035-000 (House) - 2025-04-10: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Anne Stava (House) - 2025-04-10: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Norma Hernandez (House) - 2025-04-10: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Robert "Bob" Rita (House) - 2025-04-10: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Maura Hirschauer (House) - 2025-04-10: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Maurice A. West, II (House) - 2025-04-10: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Lilian Jiménez (House) - 2025-04-10: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Laura Faver Dias (House) - 2025-04-10: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr. (House) - 2025-04-10: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Sonya M. Harper (House) - 2025-04-10: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Michael Crawford (House) - 2025-04-10: Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate (House) - 2025-04-10: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Lisa Davis (House) - 2025-04-10: Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Justin Slaughter (House) - 2025-04-10: Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Nabeela Syed (House) - 2025-04-10: Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock (House) - 2025-04-10: Fiscal Note Request is Inapplicable (House) - 2025-04-10: State Mandates Fiscal Note Request is Inapplicable (House) - 2025-04-10: Motion Prevailed 070-038-000 (House) - 2025-04-10: Note / Motion Filed - Note Act Does Not Apply Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid (House) - 2025-04-10: House Floor Amendment No. 1 Adopted (House) - 2025-04-09: House Floor Amendment No. 1 Recommends Be Adopted Education Policy Committee; 009-004-000 (House) - 2025-04-08: House Floor Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Education Policy Committee (House) - 2025-04-08: House Floor Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee (House) - 2025-04-08: House Floor Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid (House) - 2025-04-01: Fiscal Note Filed (House) - 2025-04-01: Fiscal Note Requested by Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid (House) - 2025-03-26: Held on Calendar Order of Second Reading - Short Debate (House) - 2025-03-26: Second Reading - Short Debate (House) - 2025-03-25: State Mandates Fiscal Note Requested by Rep. Amy Elik (House) - 2025-03-25: Fiscal Note Requested by Rep. Amy Elik (House) - 2025-03-21: Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate (House) - 2025-03-20: Do Pass / Short Debate Education Policy Committee; 009-004-000 (House) - 2025-03-07: Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Emanuel "Chris" Welch (House) - 2025-03-04: Assigned to Education Policy Committee (House) - 2025-02-06: Referred to Rules Committee (House) - 2025-02-06: First Reading (House) - 2025-02-06: Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid (House) ## Bill text - Engrossed: [PDF](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/HB/PDF/10400HB2997eng.pdf) - House Amendment 1: [PDF](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/HB/PDF/10400HB2997ham001.pdf) - Introduced: [PDF](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/HB/PDF/10400HB2997.pdf) ## Related bills - HB5198: AFFORDABLE HOUSING-CILAS (passed house) - SB1937: PENSION CODE-VARIOUS (passed senate) - HB2563: CONDO-RESERVE STUDY (in committee) - HB4701: LIMITATIONS FACILITY FEES ACT (in committee) - SB3008: DHS-ABLE PROGRAM INFO MATERIAL (passed senate) - SB3484: VEH CD-PLATES-REGISTRATION (signed) ## Sources - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/HB/PDF/10400HB2997eng.pdf) - [House Amendment 1 (PDF)](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/HB/PDF/10400HB2997ham001.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/HB/PDF/10400HB2997.pdf) ## Related - [HB5198: AFFORDABLE HOUSING-CILAS](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-HB5198-2025-2026) - [SB1937: PENSION CODE-VARIOUS](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-SB1937-2025-2026) - [HB2563: CONDO-RESERVE STUDY](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-HB2563-2025-2026) - [HB4701: LIMITATIONS FACILITY FEES ACT](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-HB4701-2025-2026) - [SB3008: DHS-ABLE PROGRAM INFO MATERIAL](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-SB3008-2025-2026) - [SB3484: VEH CD-PLATES-REGISTRATION](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-SB3484-2025-2026) - [Illinois bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/illinois/bills) - [Illinois state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/illinois) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-HB2997-2025-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).