104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB2960 Introduced , 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. LRB104 08585 LNS 18637 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB2960 Introduced , by Rep. Laura Faver Dias SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/27-9.1c new 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. LRB104 08585 LNS 18637 b LRB104 08585 LNS 18637 b A BILL FOR
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB2960 Introduced , by Rep. Laura Faver Dias SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/27-9.1c new 105 ILCS 5/27-9.1c new
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.
LRB104 08585 LNS 18637 b LRB104 08585 LNS 18637 b
LRB104 08585 LNS 18637 b
A BILL FOR
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HB2960 LRB104 08585 LNS 18637 b
1 AN ACT concerning education.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section
5 27-9.1c as follows:
6 (105 ILCS 5/27-9.1c new)
7 Sec. 27-9.1c. Mental health education required.
8 (a) Each school district that offers one or more courses
9 in health education to pupils in middle school or high school
10 shall include in those courses instruction in mental health
11 that meets the requirements of this Section. This Section
12 shall not be construed to limit a school district in offering
13 or requiring instruction in mental health as specified in this
14 Section. This instruction shall include:
15 (1) reasonably designed instruction on the overarching
16 themes and core principles of mental health;
17 (2) defining signs and symptoms of common mental
18 health challenges, including, depending on pupil age and
19 developmental level, defining conditions such as
20 depression, suicidal thoughts and behaviors,
21 schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and
22 anxiety, including post-traumatic stress disorder;
23 (3) elucidating the evidence-based services and
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB2960 Introduced , by Rep. Laura Faver Dias SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/27-9.1c new 105 ILCS 5/27-9.1c new
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.
LRB104 08585 LNS 18637 b LRB104 08585 LNS 18637 b
LRB104 08585 LNS 18637 b
A BILL FOR
105 ILCS 5/27-9.1c new
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1 supports that effectively help individuals manage mental
2 health challenges;
3 (4) promoting mental health wellness and protective
4 factors, including positive development, social and
5 cultural connectedness and supportive relationships,
6 resiliency, problem solving skills, coping skills,
7 self-esteem, and a positive school and home environment in
8 which pupils feel comfortable;
9 (5) the ability to identify warning signs of common
10 mental health problems in order to promote awareness and
11 early intervention so that pupils know to take action
12 before a situation turns into a crisis, including
13 instruction on:
14 (A) how to seek and find assistance from
15 professionals and services within the school district
16 that includes, but is not limited to, school
17 counselors with a pupil personnel services credential,
18 school psychologists, and school social workers, and
19 in the community for themselves or others; and
20 (B) evidence-based and culturally responsive
21 practices that are proven to help overcome mental
22 health challenges;
23 (6) the connection and importance of mental health to
24 overall health and academic success and to co-occurring
25 conditions, such as chronic physical conditions, chemical
26 dependence, and substance abuse;
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1 (7) awareness and appreciation about the prevalence of
2 mental health challenges across all populations, races,
3 ethnicities, and socioeconomic statuses, including the
4 impact of race, ethnicity, and culture on the experience
5 and treatment of mental health challenges; and
6 (8) stigma surrounding mental health challenges and
7 what can be done to overcome stigma, increase awareness,
8 and promote acceptance, including, to the extent possible,
9 classroom presentations of narratives by trained peers and
10 other individuals who have experienced mental health
11 challenges and how they coped with their situations,
12 including how they sought help and acceptance.
13 (b) Instruction and materials required under this Section
14 shall satisfy all of the following:
15 (1) be appropriate for use with pupils of all races,
16 genders, sexual orientations, and ethnic and cultural
17 backgrounds, pupils with disabilities, and English
18 learners;
19 (2) be accessible to pupils with disabilities,
20 including, but not limited to, providing a modified
21 curriculum, materials and instruction in alternative
22 formats, and auxiliary aids;
23 (3) not reflect or promote bias against any person on
24 the basis of any protected person under the definition of
25 unlawful discrimination in the Illinois Human Rights Act;
26 and
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