US EditionPritzker signs bill guaranteeing universal mental health screenings for youth, teens
ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES, AUG 1 – Illinois public schools will provide confidential mental health screenings for students in grades 3-12 starting 2027 to identify issues and connect to support, officials said.
- On Thursday, Governor JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1560 at Chute Middle School in Evanston, mandating mental health screenings in Illinois public schools.
- Under current Illinois law, Tony Sanders, Illinois State Superintendent of Education, said mental health issues contributed to nearly half of youth hospitalizations, highlighting gaps in screening.
- By September 1, 2026, the Illinois State Board of Education must provide resource materials, and school districts will start offering screenings to students in grades three through 12 in the 2027-2028 school year.
- With screenings set to begin, free tools will be available at no cost to school districts or families, helping early identification of struggling students, Sanders noted.
- In the broader initiative, the BEACON Portal serves as a vital resource for families by centralizing behavioral health information from state agencies like the Illinois Department of Human Services.
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Illinois becomes first state to mandate annual mental health screenings in schools - KBSI FOX23 News Cape Girardeau News
ILLINOIS(KBSI) – Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is making bold moves when it comes to youth mental health. Signing a new bill into law and stating at a signing ceremony held at the Evanston’s Chute middle school that he is emphasizing the importance of treating mental health as seriously as they treat physical health. Yesterday, Thursday July 31, 2025, Illinois Governor J.B Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1560 into law. Making Illinois the first stat…
Illinois to become first state to perform annual ‘mental health’ screenings on public school students · American Wire News
Never fear, Illinois parents, the state is here to help! Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a first-of-its-kind law that will start regular mental health evaluations in public schools. The program plans to begin in 2027 and will perform annual screenings for students in the third grade and up, WGN reported. “As governor of this great state, as a father, and as a great advocate for mental health, this is an issue that is both important and ve…
Gov. JB Pritzker signs school mental health screenings into law at D65 School
Content Warning: This story contains mentions of suicide. With a backdrop of a hand-painted, student-made mural and a grinning slate of state legislators behind him, Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation on Thursday implementing mental health screenings at Illinois public schools at Chute Middle School, part of Evanston/Skokie School District 65. The legislation is a “national...
Capitol News Illinois | Pritzker signs bill to implement mental-health screenings in schools
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1560 Thursday, which would require the State Board of Education and a children’s behavioral health team within the governor’s office to develop procedures and make mental health materials available to school districts.
Pritzker signs bill to implement mental health screenings in schools – Capitol News IL
Senate Bill 1560 would require the State Board of Education and a children’s behavioral health team within the governor’s office to develop procedures and make mental health materials available to school districts. The tests would be provided to schools at no cost beginning in the 2027-28 school year, so long as the state has approved funding to develop screenings.
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