Overview

• Gov. JB Pritzker signed SB 1560 Thursday in Evanston, completing legislative approval from the Senate in April and House in May.
• Under the measure, public schools must offer annual mental health assessments to students in grades three through twelve, with free screenings and parent opt-out rights.
• Insights from pilot programs in districts like Evanston/Skokie and Indian Prairie informed the design of the statewide screening framework.
• The legislation leverages the state’s BEACON portal to link families with resources spanning six behavioral health agencies.
• State education leaders say the initiative moves Illinois from reacting to student mental health crises to proactive early intervention in schools.