Senate Bill 3644, apparently the third climate change education bill to be introduced in Illinois, would require every public high school in the Prairie State to "include instruction on climate change and the impacts and causes of climate change in grades 9 through 12 in specified courses."
The bill would specifically require instruction on climate change to be included in all high school courses in science, agriculture, social science, and relevant career and technical education courses. The state superintendent of education would be charged with preparing instructional materials and professional development training for educators with the assistance of a working group of students, educators, and experts.
Introduced by Laura Ellman (D-District 21), on February 9, 2024, the bill is currently awaiting assignment to committee. Senate Bill 3644 is similar to House Bill 4895, differing primarily in not explicitly providing that climate change would have to be addressed in a required science or social studies class.
