Bill
HB 3252
Requires school districts to provide participating high school students with mandatory workplace rights, anti-discrimination, and anti-harassment instruction.
Summary
- Bill: HB 3252 (104th General Assembly)
- Title: SCH CD‑WORK PREP COURSE / Workplace experience preparation course
- Introduced: Feb 24, 2025 (Rep. Janet Yang Rohr; primary sponsor later listed as Rep. Rick Ryan)
- Current status: Passed House (4/10/2025, 77–38); arrived in Senate 4/14/2025; referred to Assignments. Alternate chief sponsor changed to Sen. Laura Ellman (5/02/2025). Companion: SB 1586.
Purpose and intent
- To ensure that high school students who participate in school‑facilitated employment, career pathway programs, or internships receive instruction preparing them for workplace rights and protections, including protections against harassment and discrimination.
Key provisions
- Amends Section 27‑23.14 of the Illinois School Code (Workplace preparation course).
- Requires (changes from permissive “may include” to mandatory “shall provide to students participating in this program”) that a school district that (a) maintains any of grades 9–12 and (b) offers school‑facilitated employment, career pathways, or internship experiences provide participating students with workplace experience/preparation instruction that includes:
1. Instruction on legal protections in the workplace — covering discrimination protections on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, and status as a protected veteran.
2. Instruction on protections against sexual harassment and racial and other forms of discrimination, and related issues such as pay disparities, lack of institutional support/resources, and exclusion from executive or leadership positions, as well as other employee protections.
- Allows local school boards to determine the minimum amount of instruction time that qualifies as a unit of instruction under this Section.
- The engrossed bill and a subsequent House amendment clarify covered protected classes and the required instruction topics.
Who is affected
- Students: High school students (grades 9–12) who participate in school‑facilitated employment, internship, or career pathway programs.
- School districts: Districts that operate those programs must provide the required instruction to participating students.
- Employers/sponsoring partners: May need to coordinate with districts on program content and expectations.
- District boards: Responsible for setting the minimum instructional time for the unit.
Implementation and fiscal note
- The text does not specify funding, curriculum models, or enforcement mechanisms. Districts would be responsible for adopting curricula and determining instruction time; potential costs (staff training, materials) would depend on local implementation. No explicit effective date is provided in the engrossed text.
Legislative timeline (selected)
- Filed: 2/24/2025 (introduced earlier filings noted); House amendment adopted 4/10/2025; Passed House 4/10/2025; Arrived Senate 4/14/2025; Referred to Assignments. Alternate Chief Sponsor updated 5/02/2025.
Significance
- Converts an optional high school curriculum unit into a required component for students participating in district‑facilitated workplace programs, emphasizing legal rights, anti‑discrimination protections, and anti‑harassment education. Districts retain local control over instructional time but must provide the content to eligible students.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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