HB2960 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 08585 LNS 18637 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB2960

Introduced 2/6/2025, by Rep. Laura Faver Dias

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/27-9.1c new

Amends the School Code. Requires each school district that offers one or more courses in health education to pupils in middle school or high school to include in those courses instruction in mental health. Sets forth the required instruction topics and materials. Provides that a pupil receiving instruction under in mental health shall not be required to disclose the pupil's confidential health or mental health information at any time in the course of receiving the instruction.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section 27-9.1c as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/27-9.1c new)

Sec. 27-9.1c. Mental health education required.

(a) Each school district that offers one or more courses in health education to pupils in middle school or high school shall include in those courses instruction in mental health that meets the requirements of this Section. This Section shall not be construed to limit a school district in offering or requiring instruction in mental health as specified in this Section. This instruction shall include:

(1) reasonably designed instruction on the overarching themes and core principles of mental health;

(2) defining signs and symptoms of common mental health challenges, including, depending on pupil age and developmental level, defining conditions such as depression, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and anxiety, including post-traumatic stress disorder;

(3) elucidating the evidence-based services and supports that effectively help individuals manage mental health challenges;

(4) promoting mental health wellness and protective factors, including positive development, social and cultural connectedness and supportive relationships, resiliency, problem solving skills, coping skills, self-esteem, and a positive school and home environment in which pupils feel comfortable;

(5) the ability to identify warning signs of common mental health problems in order to promote awareness and early intervention so that pupils know to take action before a situation turns into a crisis, including instruction on:

(A) how to seek and find assistance from professionals and services within the school district that includes, but is not limited to, school counselors with a pupil personnel services credential, school psychologists, and school social workers, and in the community for themselves or others; and

(B) evidence-based and culturally responsive practices that are proven to help overcome mental health challenges;

(6) the connection and importance of mental health to overall health and academic success and to co-occurring conditions, such as chronic physical conditions, chemical dependence, and substance abuse;

(7) awareness and appreciation about the prevalence of mental health challenges across all populations, races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic statuses, including the impact of race, ethnicity, and culture on the experience and treatment of mental health challenges; and

(8) stigma surrounding mental health challenges and what can be done to overcome stigma, increase awareness, and promote acceptance, including, to the extent possible, classroom presentations of narratives by trained peers and other individuals who have experienced mental health challenges and how they coped with their situations, including how they sought help and acceptance.

(b) Instruction and materials required under this Section shall satisfy all of the following:

(1) be appropriate for use with pupils of all races, genders, sexual orientations, and ethnic and cultural backgrounds, pupils with disabilities, and English learners;

(2) be accessible to pupils with disabilities, including, but not limited to, providing a modified curriculum, materials and instruction in alternative formats, and auxiliary aids;

(3) not reflect or promote bias against any person on the basis of any protected person under the definition of unlawful discrimination in the Illinois Human Rights Act; and

(4) be coordinated with any existing on-campus mental health providers, including, but not limited to, providers with a pupil personnel services credential, who may be immediately called upon by pupils for assistance.

(c) This Section does not limit a pupil's health and mental health privacy or confidential rights. A pupil receiving instruction under this Section shall not be required to disclose the pupil's confidential health or mental health information at any time in the course of receiving the instruction.