Illinois the first state in the nation to require public schools to offer mental health screenings in 3rd through 12th grades. Gov. Pritzker signed the bill July 31, 2025.

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.

Illinois has become the first state to offer annual mental health screenings to public school students in grades 3-12, in partnership with psychiatric hospitals, with the goal of shifting from crisis reaction to prevention.