Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) aims to simplify the process for Illinois parents and students regarding new state laws mandating annual mental health screenings for students in grades 3 to 12.
On July 31, Governor JB Pritzker (D) signed SB1560, which will take effect in the 2027-2028 school year after the Illinois Board of Education establishes guidance for schools. Although parents can opt out, concerns have been raised by several experts about government oversight and the potential for false positives.
In response to these concerns, Rep. Miller plans to reintroduce her bill on Friday. The proposed legislation would ensure that schools obtain written consent from a parent or guardian before investigating a student’s sensitive personal information, whether the student is an adult or a minor.
“It’s just absurd to require an intrusive ‘mental health screening’ without parental consent,” Miller told Breitbart News. “My bill will protect parents by making sure their written permission is needed before any screenings happen.”
Democratic Illinois Senator Laura Fein, the sponsor of the mental health screening law, mentioned that the screenings aim “to identify early signs of anxiety, depression, or trauma before they escalate to a crisis.”
However, state Republicans are voicing worries about parental rights and the complexities tied to insurance. “This universal mental health screening will likely only create problems, potentially leading to reasons for insurance claims being denied,” stated Rep. Steve Reck (R).
Rep. Adam Niemerg (R) describes the law as part of a troubling trend that undermines parental rights.
Abigail Schrier, author of Bad Therapy: Why Kids Are Not Growing? and Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters, argued that the policy may cause more harm than benefit, claiming it pushes many Illinois kids into a system that wrongly convinces them they are unwell.
“Tens of thousands of children could be misled into thinking they need mental health treatment,” she noted.
Miller’s bill seeks to amend the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) to require explicit written consent for the administration of assessments related to specific topics, including political beliefs and sexual behavior. Notably, the PPRA currently lacks clarity on consent requirements.
The legislation would mandate local educational institutions to revise their student privacy policies so that no investigation of students can proceed without obtaining prior written approval.
Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX) shares support for Miller’s legislation, joined by several conservative and parental rights organizations, including the American Principles Project and Family Research Council.
