Education (Student Health)

Amends the Mental Health Early Action on Campus Act. Provides that the expert panel designated by the board of trustees to develop and implement policies and procedures shall be comprised of at least 2 administrators, 2 members of faculty, and one mental health professional. Requires each public college or university to provide at least 3 on-site licensed clinical professional counselors or licensed clinical social workers.

Appropriates $18,000,000 to the State Board of Education for costs associated with implementing a statewide master contract for prepackaged meals. Effective July 1, 2025.

Appropriates $4,500,000 to the State Board of Education for grants to school districts to contract with organizations that directly provide students and school-based staff with mental telehealth services that are billed to Medicaid and commercial insurance plans. Effective July 1, 2025.

Amends the School Code. Provides that a child who is excused for a temporary absence because of a physical illness for up to 5 days does not need to provide a medical note.

Appropriates $4,500,000 to the State Board of Education for grants to school districts to contract with organizations that directly provide students and school-based staff with mental telehealth services that are billed to Medicaid and commercial insurance plans. Effective July 1, 2025.

Amends the School Code. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education shall establish a program of paid internships for students enrolled in educator preparation programs in the school support personnel endorsement areas of school social worker, school psychologist, school counselor, school nurse, and speech-language pathologist. Sets forth provisions concerning the program. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education shall establish and maintain a mentorship and recruitment program to develop and maintain interest in the school support personnel endorsement areas of school social worker, school psychologist, school counselor, school nurse, and speech-language pathologist. Sets forth provisions concerning the program. Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that subject to appropriation, beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall establish a school support personnel educator preparation scholarship program to annually award up to 250 scholarships for school psychology, school counseling, school nursing, and school speech-language pathology. Sets forth provisions concerning the scholarship program. Provides that, to encourage Illinois students to enter the fields of school psychology, school counseling, school nursing, and school speech-language pathology and to continue to work in those fields in public schools in this State, the Commission shall, each year, receive and consider applications for loan repayment assistance under a School Support Personnel Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program. Sets forth provisions concerning the Program. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Board of Education Article of the School Code. Provides that, subject to appropriation, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, the State Board of Education shall award competitive grants on an annual basis to school districts and other educational units that have school social work interns to assist those school districts and other educational units in the funding of school social work internships approved by the interns' educator preparation programs by providing stipends. Sets forth the stipend amount. Provides that the State Board of Education shall annually disseminate to school districts and other educational units that have school social work interns a request for applications for grants. Provides that grant applications shall be accepted on an annual basis. Provides that the State Board of Education shall establish procedures for submitting requests for stipends and issuing funds to approved applicants. Provides for prioritizing grants if an appropriation is insufficient to fund all applications for grants. Provides that for any school year in which grants are awarded, the State Board of Education shall produce a report on the awarding of grants, in cooperation with the school districts and educational units that are awarded grants. Sets forth requirements for the report. Provides that the report shall be posted on the State Board of Education's Internet website each school year in which grants are awarded. Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Board of Higher Education shall establish and administer a grant program to support the field placement of social workers. Provides that the Board shall distribute the funds appropriated for this purpose in the form of grants to public or nonpublic institutions of higher education to expand opportunities for students who are intending to become social workers and to assist students in pursuing social-work related field placements, internships, and other work opportunities. Sets forth other requirements concerning the operation of the grant program. Effective immediately.

SB 1419 appropriates $67 million to the State Board of Education. These funds are designated to cover costs associated with the Healthy School Meals for All Program. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Appropriates $18,000,000 to the State Board of Education for costs associated with implementing a statewide master contract for prepackaged meals. Effective July 1, 2025.

Amends the School Code. Requires each school district that offers one or more courses in health education to pupils in middle school or high school to include in those courses instruction in mental health. Sets forth the required instruction topics and materials. Provides that a pupil receiving instruction under in mental health shall not be required to disclose the pupil's confidential health or mental health information at any time in the course of receiving the instruction.