HEALTH EDUCATION-MENTAL HEALTH

Amends the Critical Health Problems and Comprehensive Health Education Act. With respect to the Comprehensive Health Education Program, requires that the instruction on mental health and illness discuss how and where to find mental health resources in this State. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 110/5.5 new Adds provisions regarding instruction on mental health and illness to include how to find a mental health provider and how to access the mental health system. Creates the Student Mental Health Council to evaluate mental health among students, how mental health resources are being used, and the effect of COVID-19 on students' mental health. Provides that the Council shall meet at least once per quarter. Provides that the Council shall advise and make recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor regarding: (i) the dissemination of information to schools, including agency websites, informational materials, and outreach personnel; (ii) available services to students and any gaps; and (iii) how to improve state policy concerning student mental health. Provides guidelines for appointing members. Provides that the State Board of Education shall provide administrative support. Defines which members serve for compensation, and the amount of the compensation. Provides that the Council shall deliver annual reports to the General Assembly and the Governor's Office. Provides that the Council is dissolved, and the Section creating the Council is repealed, on January 1, 2026. Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Critical Health Problems and Comprehensive Health Education Act. Adds provisions regarding requiring instruction on how and where to find mental health resources and specialized treatment in the State. Creates the Student Mental Health Council to evaluate: mental health; how mental health resources are being used; and the effect of COVID-19 on students' mental health, substance use disorders, and other mental health conditions. Provides that the Council shall meet at least once per quarter. Provides that the Council shall advise and make recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor regarding: (i) the dissemination of information to schools, including agency websites, informational materials, and outreach personnel; (ii) available services to students and any service gaps; and (iii) how to improve State policy concerning student mental health. Provides guidelines for appointing members. Provides that the State Board of Education shall provide administrative support. Describes which members serve for compensation and the amount of the compensation. Provides that the Council shall deliver annual reports to the General Assembly and the Governor's Office. Provides that the Council is dissolved, and the Section creating the Council is repealed, on January 1, 2026. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 3 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the bill, as amended by Senate Amendment No. 2, with the following changes. Removes a provision providing for a stipend for certain members. Provides that no member of the Council, including the chairperson, shall receive any compensation for services on the Council but shall be reimbursed for ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in attending meetings of the Council. Senate Floor Amendment No. 4 Deletes reference to: 105 ILCS 110/5.5 new Adds reference to: 405 ILCS 49/5 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes: With respect to the Comprehensive Health Education Program, requires that the Program include instruction on how and where to find mental health resources and specialized treatment in the State (rather than on mental health and illness discuss how and where to find mental health resources in the State). Amends the Children's Mental Health Act of 2003. Provides that the Children's Mental Health Partnership shall also include an adjunct council. Defines membership and qualifications of the adjunct council. Provides that the adjunct council will make recommendations to the Partnership regarding youth mental health, including, but not limited to, identifying barriers to youth feeling supported by and empowered by the system of mental health and treatment providers, barriers perceived by youth in accessing mental health services, gaps in the mental health system, available resources in schools, including youth's perceptions and experiences with outreach personnel, agency websites, and informational materials, methods to destigmatize mental health services, and how to improve State policy concerning student mental health. Provides that the council shall meet at least 4 times annually. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Provides that the Partnership shall include an adjunct council comprised of no more than 6 youth aged 14 to 25 and (rather than no more than) 4 representatives of 4 different community-based organizations (instead of 3 representatives of 3 different community based organizations) that focus on youth mental health. Provides that, of the community-based organizations that focus on youth mental health, one of the community-based organizations shall be led by an LGBTQ-identified person, one of the community-based organizations shall be led by a person of color, and one of the community-based organizations shall be led by a woman (instead of each community-based organization shall be led by an LGBTQ-identified person, a person of color, or a woman). Provides that, of the representatives appointed to the council from the community-based organizations, at least one representative shall be LGBTQ-identified, at least one representative shall be a person of color, and at least one representative shall be a woman.