Halbrook Files Bills to Protect Students from Mandatory Mental Health Screenings in Schools

SHELBYVILLE, IL… State Representative Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) filed two bills, House Bills 4114 and 4115, to combat the intrusive mental health bill, SB 1560, signed into law by Governor Pritzker in July. The new law requires Illinois public schools to offer mental health screenings to students in grades 3-12. Students will have the ability to opt out, but the process could vary from school to school. The new law does not apply to private school or homeschool and goes into effect at the start of the 2027-2028 school year.

HB 4114 works to repeal the requirement that the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) must create guidelines to be used in public schools. HB 4115 amends the new law by changing the opt-out process to an opt-in process, allowing parents to make informed decisions before allowing their students to participate. The bill also requires that a minimum of three written notifications be sent to parents per school year, in the form of mail, regarding the mental health screenings.

"Illinois just became the first state in the nation to mandate mental health screenings for all public-school students in grades 3-12," began Halbrook. "Governor Pritzker signed this intrusive law and, unless parents proactively opt out, your child will be screened. Worse yet, there is no guarantee on who is conducting these screenings-or what worldview they bring with them. Schools are already failing at teaching the basics, adding this additional component is abhorrent. Democrats know no bounds to pushing their radical agendas-this law needs to be stopped."

The new law neglects to appoint a mental health professional to conduct these screenings and instead allows a teacher or other school staff member to evaluate students. Rep. Halbrook says this not only undermines the work of mental health professionals and continues to overburden educators but expands the reach of government into the minds of children.

"The same people who shut down schools, masked students, and caused serious mental health issues during the pandemic now want to pretend they can fix the crisis they helped create-by getting deeper into your child's life without your consent. Let me be clear: this is not about helping kids, it's about expanding the reach of the government into the minds of your children," concluded Halbrook.

Halbrook's bills await legislative action. For more information, contact Rep. Halbrook at (217) 342-0220 or visit RepHalbrook.com.

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