104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB4119
 
Introduced 10/15/2025, by Rep. Chris Miller
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/2-3.203
    Amends the School Code. In provisions requiring the State Board of Education to develop model school district procedures to facilitate the implementation of mental health screenings for students, provides that the procedures shall include the option for parents to opt in (rather than opt out) of mental health screenings for their children. Effective January 1, 2026.


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A BILL FOR
 
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1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section 
52-3.203 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.203)
7    (Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 104-32)
8    Sec. 2-3.203. Mental health screenings. 
9    (a) On or before December 15, 2023, the State Board of 
10Education, in consultation with the Children's Behavioral 
11Health Transformation Officer, Children's Behavioral Health 
12Transformation Team, and the Office of the Governor, shall 
13file a report with the Governor and the General Assembly that 
14includes recommendations for implementation of mental health 
15screenings in schools for students enrolled in kindergarten 
16through grade 12. This report must include a landscape scan of 
17current district-wide screenings, recommendations for 
18screening tools, training for staff, and linkage and referral 
19for identified students.
20    (b) On or before October 1, 2024, the State Board of 
21Education, in consultation with the Children's Behavioral 
22Health Transformation Team, the Office of the Governor, and 
23relevant stakeholders as needed shall release a strategy that 
 
 
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1includes a tool for measuring capacity and readiness to 
2implement universal mental health screening of students. The 
3strategy shall build upon existing efforts to understand 
4district needs for resources, technology, training, and 
5infrastructure supports. The strategy shall include a 
6framework for supporting districts in a phased approach to 
7implement universal mental health screenings. The State Board 
8of Education shall issue a report to the Governor and the 
9General Assembly on school district readiness and plan for 
10phased approach to universal mental health screening of 
11students on or before April 1, 2025. 
12(Source: P.A. 103-546, eff. 8-11-23; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24; 
13103-885, eff. 8-9-24.)
 
14    (Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 104-32)
15    Sec. 2-3.203. Mental health screenings. 
16    (a) On or before December 15, 2023, the State Board of 
17Education, in consultation with the Children's Behavioral 
18Health Transformation Team in the Office of the Governor, 
19shall file a report with the Governor and the General Assembly 
20that includes recommendations for implementation of mental 
21health screenings in schools for students enrolled in 
22kindergarten through grade 12. This report must include a 
23landscape scan of current district-wide screenings, 
24recommendations for screening tools, training for staff, and 
25linkage and referral for identified students.
 
 
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1    (b) On or before October 1, 2024, the State Board of 
2Education, in consultation with the Children's Behavioral 
3Health Transformation Team in the Office of the Governor, and 
4relevant stakeholders as needed shall release a strategy that 
5includes a tool for measuring capacity and readiness to 
6implement universal mental health screening of students. The 
7strategy shall build upon existing efforts to understand 
8district needs for resources, technology, training, and 
9infrastructure supports. The strategy shall include a 
10framework for supporting districts in a phased approach to 
11implement universal mental health screenings. The State Board 
12of Education shall issue a report to the Governor and the 
13General Assembly on school district readiness and plan for 
14phased approach to universal mental health screening of 
15students on or before April 1, 2025. 
16    (c) On or before September 1, 2026, the State Board of 
17Education, in consultation with the Children's Behavioral 
18Health Transformation Team in the Office of the Governor and 
19relevant stakeholders, shall report its work and make 
20available resource materials, including model procedures and 
21guidance informed by a phased approach to implementing 
22universal mental health screening in schools. These model 
23school district procedures to facilitate the implementation of 
24mental health screenings shall include, but are not limited 
25to, the option to opt in opt-out, confidentiality and privacy 
26considerations, communication with families and communities 
 
 
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1about the use of mental health screenings, data sharing, and 
2storage of mental health screening results and plans for 
3follow-up and linkage to resources after screenings. Guidance 
4shall include (1) mental health screening tools available for 
5school districts to use with students and (2) associated 
6training for school personnel. The State Board of Education 
7shall make these resource materials available on its website. 
8    (d) Mental health screenings shall be offered by school 
9districts to students enrolled in grade 3 through grade 12, at 
10least once a year, beginning with the 2027-2028 school year. A 
11district may, by action of the State Board of Education, apply 
12for an extension of the 2027-2028 school year implementation 
13deadline if the school district meets criteria set by rule by 
14the State Board of Education, which shall be based on the 
15recommendations of the report issued in accordance with 
16subsection (c). Notwithstanding the provisions of this 
17subsection, the requirement to offer mental health screenings 
18shall be in effect only for school years in which the State has 
19successfully procured a screening tool that offers a 
20self-report option for students and is made available to 
21school districts at no cost. 
22(Source: P.A. 103-546, eff. 8-11-23; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24; 
23103-885, eff. 8-9-24; 104-32, eff. 1-1-26; revised 8-28-25.)
 
24    Section 95. No acceleration or delay. Where this Act makes 
25changes in a statute that is represented in this Act by text 
 
 
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1that is not yet or no longer in effect (for example, a Section 
2represented by multiple versions), the use of that text does 
3not accelerate or delay the taking effect of (i) the changes 
4made by this Act or (ii) provisions derived from any other 
5Public Act.
 
6    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 
71, 2026.