The bill, SB1560, requires all school districts to provide screening in grades 3 through 12 at least once a year.

Governor Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1560 to provide cost-free mental health screening tools to public schools in Illinois and inform parents and caregivers about the BEACON portal, making annual mental health screenings available for all Illinois students in grades 3-12 by the 2027 school year.

Pritzker said it’s important to overcome the stigma around getting help for mental health issues and to treat mental health as a priority, like physical health. Illinois schools already offer screenings for vision and hearing problems and require students to have physical checkups with their pediatrician.