Gov. Pritzker signs bill requiring yearly psychological evaluations of Illinois school children

EVANSTON, Ill. (WTVO) — A new Illinois law, signed Thursday by Gov. JB Pritzker, will require annual mental health screenings for public school children to identify and prevent mental health crises.

“Too often, we only recognize a student’s distress when it becomes a crisis. With universal screening, we shift from reaction to prevention. The earlier we identify a need, the better support we can provide to that student to help them thrive in school and in life,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders.

Under current Illinois law, behavioral health screening of every student in every grade enrolled each year is not required, making it difficult to identify and address mental health issues.

Senate Bill 1560 requires all school districts to offer mental health screenings to students enrolled in grades 3 through 12, at least once a year, beginning with the 2027-2028 school year.

SB1560, supported by the Illinois State Board of Education and children’s behavioral health advocates, aims to offer annual mental health screenings for students in grades three through twelve by the 2027 school year.

“Access to mental healthcare, especially for children, is too often overlooked or ignored,” said Governor JB Pritzker.

The State will further support this initiative by providing public schools with free access to screening tools and associated technology. The legislation also involves raising awareness about BEACON (Behavioral Health Care and Ongoing Navigation), which provides Illinois families with information about available behavioral health services for children and adolescents.

BEACON is a result of Pritzker’s establishment of the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative, a portal designed through a partnership with Google Public Sector. The platform launched officially in January 2025 and has been utilized by state agency representatives, physicians, mental health practitioners, and school personnel.