IL HB3538

Beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, all school districts, nonpublic schools, and charter schools with grade 9 must require ninth grade students to take a one-time mental health course.

The course must include information on detecting signs of depression, asking for help with mental health issues, and available mental health resources for students.

School boards or governing bodies determine the minimum instructional time needed to satisfy the course requirement.

The State Board of Education must prepare and make available resource materials that schools may use for the course.

Charter schools are explicitly required to comply with the mental health course requirement under Section 27-23.13.