McHenry Times

Craig Wilcox introduced SB2058 in the Illinois Senate on Feb. 6, 2025, during the general assembly session 104, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "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 social studies course pertaining to American history shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of the previous 30 years and the causes that led up to those events. Provides for what the unit of instruction shall and may include. Provides that the State Superintendent of Education may prepare and make available to all school boards instructional materials and professional development opportunities that may be used as guidelines for development of the unit of instruction. Provides that each school board shall itself 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 and make recommendations for improvement, including professional development. Effective July 1, 2025."

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill mandates that, beginning with the 2026–2027 school year, all public elementary and high school social studies courses on American history in Illinois must include a unit studying the events of the past 30 years and their causes. The unit should provide an unbiased, thorough recount of significant national and global events, such as September 11, 2001, the Iraq War, the introduction of the iPhone, and the 2008 financial crisis. The State Superintendent of Education may supply instructional materials and professional development resources as guidelines. Each school board will decide the minimum instructional time required for this unit, and regional superintendents will monitor compliance annually. The act takes effect July 1, 2025.

Craig Wilcox has proposed another 11 bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Wilcox graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1989 with a BS.

Craig Wilcox is currently serving in the Illinois State Senate, representing the state's 32nd Senate District. He replaced previous state senator Pamela Althoff in 2018.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
SB2058	02/06/2025	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 social studies course pertaining to American history shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of the previous 30 years and the causes that led up to those events. Provides for what the unit of instruction shall and may include. Provides that the State Superintendent of Education may prepare and make available to all school boards instructional materials and professional development opportunities that may be used as guidelines for development of the unit of instruction. Provides that each school board shall itself 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 and make recommendations for improvement, including professional development. Effective July 1, 2025.
SB1781	02/06/2025	Amends the Illinois State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois and the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that State police officers and local police officers shall receive training in homicide investigations in which the victims were suspected of being subject to domestic abuse. Amends the Counties Code. Provides that every coroner, whenever, as soon as he or she knows or is informed that the dead body of any person is found, or lying within his or her county, whose death is suspected of being a death, if the circumstances surrounding the death is known or suspected as due to suicide and affords a reasonable basis to suspect that the death was caused by or related to the domestic violence of another, in consultation with a board-certified forensic pathologist certified by the American Board of Pathology, shall go to the place where the dead body is and take charge of the same and shall make a preliminary investigation into the circumstances of the death. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Adds the Investigation of Homicides of Decedents with Identifiable History of Being Victimized by Domestic Violence Article to the Code. Provides that prior to making any findings as to the manner and cause of death of a deceased individual with an identifiable history of being victimized by domestic violence, and with the presence of 3 or more specified factors, law enforcement investigators shall interview family members, such as parents, siblings, or other close friends or relatives of the decedent with relevant information regarding that history of domestic violence. Lists those factors that law enforcement investigators must consider in those investigations. Provides that sworn law enforcement personnel investigating a death if it has been determined that the decedent has an identifiable history of being victimized by domestic violence shall be current in their training related to domestic violence incidents, including training required pursuant to the Illinois State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois or the Illinois Police Training Act. Defines terms. Amends the Autopsy Act to make conforming changes.
SB1856	02/06/2025	Amends the Township Code. In provisions regarding the ability of any group of registered voters to request an advisory question of public policy for consideration by the electors at the annual meeting, provides that the advisory question of public policy must be pertaining to the statutory duties of townships under the Annual Township Meeting Article of the Code.
SB2042	02/06/2025	Amends the Paid Leave for All Workers Act. Provides that the definition of "employee" does not include: (1) a student enrolled in and regularly attending classes in a college or university, who is employed for less than an average of 30 hours per week by an employer, and who is not a participant in an adult education and literacy program at that college or university; or (2) a student enrolled in and regularly attending high school classes, who is under 18 years of age, and who is employed on a temporary or less than full time basis.
SB1386	01/29/2025	Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Provides that each public body shall designate one or more public body officials or employees (rather than officials or employees) to act as its Freedom of Information officer or officers. Provides that "public body officials" means elected or appointed office holders of the public body but does not include private attorneys or law firms appointed to represent the public body.
SB0279	01/24/2025	Amends the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. Provides that upon petition, the court shall order that a person against whom an emergency order of protection was issued shall have all records related to the emergency order expunged (unless the person violated the order) from the court's records and from the Illinois State Police's Law Enforcement Agencies Data System if: (1) the person who sought the emergency order fails to seek a plenary order of protection before the emergency order expires; (2) there is an agreed dismissal; or (3) the court denies the issuance of a plenary order of protection following the emergency order. Provides that the clerk shall immediately file the expungement order and all records to be expunged shall be expunged no later than 3 business days after the order. Effective June 1, 2025.
SB1240	01/24/2025	Amends the State Mandates Act. Provides that any State mandate regarding any subject matter enacted on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act that necessitates additional expenditures from local government revenues shall be void and unenforceable unless the General Assembly makes necessary appropriations and reimbursements to implement that mandate. Provides that the failure of the General Assembly to make necessary appropriations and reimbursements shall relieve the local government of the obligation to implement any State mandate. Makes conforming changes. Amends the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law in the Property Tax Code. Provides that a taxing district shall reduce its aggregate extension base for the purpose of lowering its limiting rate for future years upon referendum approval initiated by the submission of a petition by the voters of the district. Provides that the extension limitation shall be: (a) the lesser of 5% or the average percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for the immediately preceding 10 years; or (b) the rate of increase approved by the voters. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Increases distributions into the Local Government Distributive Fund on and after August 1, 2025. Effective immediately.
SB1246	01/24/2025	Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the standard registration fee for passenger motor vehicles of the first division and motor vehicles of the second division weighing not more than 8,000 pounds shall be waived for any veteran who holds proof from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs of a service-connected disability.
SB0137	01/17/2025	Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that, if the retailer or serviceman reports less than $50,000 in sales during the month for which the return is filed, then the vendor's discount for that retailer or serviceman shall be 3.5% (currently, 1.75%) of the amount collected or $5 per calendar year, whichever is greater. Effective immediately.
SB0140	01/17/2025	Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax deduction for gratuities that are included in the taxpayer's federal adjusted gross income. Effective immediately.
SB0160	01/17/2025	Amends the Township Code. Provides that a township may regulate commercial wind energy facilities, commercial solar energy facilities, or both. Provides that a township may use any of its zoning powers in the regulation of commercial wind energy facilities and commercial solar energy facilities and may prohibit commercial wind energy facilities, commercial solar energy facilities, or both. Provides that a township's regulations over commercial wind energy facilities and commercial solar energy facilities shall prevail over county regulations but not over municipal regulations. Defines terms. Amends the Renewable Energy Facilities Agricultural Impact Mitigation Act making conforming changes. Effective immediately.
SB0171	01/17/2025	Amends the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act. Modifies the provisions of the Act to apply to veterans and veteran-owned businesses. Modifies a Section concerning the short title. Changes the title of the Act to the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, Veterans, and Persons with Disabilities Act, and makes conforming changes throughout various statutes referencing the title of the Act. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Removes a provision concerning procurement preferences for veterans and veteran-owned businesses. Applies administrative penalties for falsely certified businesses to minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, and businesses owned by persons with a disability. Defines terms. Makes conforming changes in various statutes concerning minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, and businesses owned by persons with a disability. Effective immediately.