Bill Text: IL HB0908 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Creates the Higher Education Mental Health Act. Provides for legislative findings and purposes. Requires the Board of Higher Education to establish the Advisory Commission on Serving and Supporting Students with Mental Health Disabilities in Institutions of Higher Education; provides for the membership and meetings of the Commission. Requires the Commission to conduct a study and prepare reports for the Higher Education Committee of the House of Representatives and the Higher Education Committee of the Senate; specifies the report's requirements. Provides that the Commission is dissolved on the day after it submits its final report. Repeals the Act on June 1, 2023.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-05-01 - Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Diane Pappas [HB0908 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2019-HB0908-Introduced.html

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101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2019 and 2020 HB0908 Introduced , by Rep. Jonathan Carroll SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
New Act
Creates the Higher Education Mental Health Act. Provides for legislative findings and purposes. Requires the Board of Higher Education to establish the Advisory Commission on Serving and Supporting Students with Mental Health Disabilities in Institutions of Higher Education; provides for the membership and meetings of the Commission. Requires the Commission to conduct a study and prepare reports for the Higher Education Committee of the House of Representatives and the Higher Education Committee of the Senate; specifies the report's requirements. Provides that the Commission is dissolved on the day after it submits its final report. Repeals the Act on June 1, 2023.
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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning education.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Higher
Education Mental Health Act.
Section 5. Findings and purposes.
(a) The General Assembly finds the following:
(1) More than 75% of mental health conditions begin
before the age of 24.
(2) More than 25% of students 18 years of age or older
and under 24 reported a mental health concern.
(3) More than 50% of students 18 years of age or older
and under 24 reported having a severe psychological
problem.
(4) More than 50% of students 18 years of age or older
and under 24 reported feelings of hopelessness.
(5) Higher education counseling centers are devoting
more time to rapid-response treatment, with more than 25%
of students who sought help reporting that they had
intentionally hurt themselves.
(6) Over a 5-year period, counseling center
utilization increased by an average of 30% to 40%, while
enrollment increased by only 5%, forcing institutions of

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higher education to provide mental health services to more
students without increasing resources.
(b) The purposes of this Act are the following:
(1) To ensure institutions of higher education are
provided with accurate information on the mental health
concerns facing students.
(2) To provide detailed recommendations that
institutions of higher education and this State can use to
improve the mental health services available to students
and properly treat the rising number of students with
mental health issues.
Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:
"Commission" means the Advisory Commission on Serving and
Supporting Students with Mental Health Disabilities in
Institutions of Higher Education.
"Executive Director" means the Executive Director of the
Board of Higher Education.
Section 15. Commission created.
(a) The Board of Higher Education shall establish a
commission to be known as the Advisory Commission on Serving
and Supporting Students with Mental Health Disabilities in
Institutions of Higher Education. The Commission may not be
comprised of more than 25 members and must include all of the
following members, to be appointed within 60 days after the

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effective date of this Act:
(1) One Representative appointed by the Speaker of the
House of Representatives.
(2) One Representative appointed by the Minority
Leader of the House of Representatives.
(3) One Senator appointed by the President of the
Senate.
(4) One Senator appointed by the Minority Leader of the
Senate.
(5) One member appointed by the Governor.
(6) One member appointed by the Executive Director.
(7) One member representing the Department of Human
Services' Division of Mental Health, appointed by the
Secretary of Human Services.
(8) One member from each dean of students' office at
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois
State University, and Northwestern University, appointed
by the Executive Director.
(9) One member from the Student Success Center at
Richland Community College, appointed by the Executive
Director.
(10) One member from Wellness Services at Southwestern
Illinois College, appointed by the Executive Director.
(11) One member from a Wellness Center at the City
Colleges of Chicago, appointed by the Executive Director.
(12) One member representing the Illinois Association

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for Behavioral Health, appointed by the Executive
Director.
(13) One member representing Mental Health America of
Illinois, appointed by the Executive Director.
(14) One member representing an association of
administrative and personnel professionals focused on
creating an inclusive higher education environment for
individuals with disabilities, appointed by the Executive
Director.
(15) One member representing an organization of
secondary and postsecondary education students with mental
health disabilities advocating for mental health services
and suicide prevention, appointed by the Executive
Director.
(16) The following members representing institutions
of higher education of varying size in this State,
appointed by the Executive Director:
(A) Three members who are each a family member of
an individual who is:
(i) enrolled in an institution of higher
education on the date the family member is
appointed to the Commission; or
(ii) a former student of an institution of
higher education with a mental health disability.
(B) Four members who are individuals with mental
health disabilities, at least 2 of whom must be

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enrolled in an institution of higher education on the
date of appointment. Any remaining members must be
individuals with a mental health disability who have
attended an institution of higher education.
(b) The members of the Commission shall serve without
compensation, but must be reimbursed for reasonable travel
expenses, subject to appropriation to the Board of Higher
Education and the rules of the appropriate travel control
board. The Board of Higher Education and the federal government
may provide administrative and other support to the Commission.
The Board of Higher Education shall make available to the
Commission necessary equipment, supplies, and services.
Section 20. Meetings. No later than 60 days after the
appointment of the members of the Commission under Section 15,
the Commission shall hold its first meeting, on a date
determined by the Board of Higher Education, and must select a
chairperson and vice chairperson from among the members of the
Commission. The vice chairperson must be a member who is a
student or former student with a mental health disability.
After its first meeting, the Commission must meet at the call
of the chairperson, but not more than a total of 8 times.
Section 25. Study and report.
(a) The Commission shall conduct a study and prepare
reports for the Higher Education Committee of the House of

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Representatives and the Higher Education Committee of the
Senate that includes all of the following:
(1) Findings from stakeholders, including through the
solicitation of public testimony, related to the
challenges faced by students with mental health
disabilities in institutions of higher education,
including:
(A) the services available to students with mental
health disabilities at institutions of higher
education and the services' effectiveness in
supporting these students;
(B) the impact of policies and procedures that help
or hinder the goal of providing equal opportunity for
students with mental health disabilities, such as
reasonable accommodation policies, mandatory and
voluntary leave policies, and disciplinary policies;
(C) the use of protected health information of
students with mental health disabilities by
institutions of higher education, including the extent
to which campus-based mental health providers share
this information with college or university officials
without a student's consent; and
(D) the impact of providing mental health services
on a student's academic performance, well-being, and
ability to complete college.
(2) Conclusions on the major challenges facing

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students with mental health disabilities in institutions
of higher education.
(3) Recommendations to improve the overall education
and retention and graduation of students with mental health
disabilities in institutions of higher education, with the
goal of helping those students access educational
opportunities equal to those of their peers who do not have
a disability.
(b) The Commission shall prepare and submit to the
Executive Director, the Higher Education Committee of the House
of Representatives, and the Higher Education Committee of the
Senate all of the following:
(1) An interim report that summarizes the progress of
the Commission, along with any interim findings,
conclusions, and recommendations, as described in
subsection (a).
(2) A final report that states final findings,
conclusions, and recommendations, as described in
subsection (a).
(c) The reports required under subsection (b) shall be
prepared and submitted by the following dates:
(1) in the case of the interim report, no later than
one year after the date in which all of the members of the
Commission are appointed; and
(2) in the case of the final report, no later than 2
years after the date in which all of the members of the

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Commission are appointed.
Section 90. Dissolution and repealer.
(a) The Commission is dissolved on the day after the date
the Commission submits its final report under Section 25.
(b) This Act is repealed on June 1, 2023.