HB3217 Summary: Ethnic Group Terminology

• Removes outdated alternative terminology (such as "Haitian" or "Negro") from Illinois statutory definitions of race and ethnicity across multiple state laws and codes.

• Standardizes racial and ethnic categories to five groups: American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.

• Applies changes across numerous Illinois statutes including employment records, public health, higher education, insurance, public assistance, vehicle code, and criminal statutes.

• Maintains identical substantive definitions of each racial and ethnic category while modernizing the language used to describe them.

• Ensures consistent terminology for civil rights compliance, affirmative action programs, demographic reporting, and anti-discrimination requirements statewide.