In August, Illinois made a significant step towards addressing climate change by enacting House Bill 4895, the state’s first legislation mandating climate change education. Starting with the 2026-2027 school year, public schools will be required to integrate climate change instruction into their curricula, focusing on environmental impacts and potential solutions while aligning with state learning standards. The bill’s scope was modified from its initial proposal, which sought a more comprehensive integration and additional educator training, but this legislation remains a significant milestone for Illinois.
House Bill 4895 was passed in 2024, including the NGSS and anthropogenic climate change education as part of state law, becoming only the 5th state to do so. These changes will take effect in the 2026-2027 school year.