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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1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Higher
5Education Mental Health Act.
 
6    Section 5. Findings and purposes.
7    (a) The General Assembly finds the following:
8        (1) More than 75% of mental health conditions begin
9    before the age of 24.
10        (2) More than 25% of students 18 years of age or older
11    and under 24 reported a mental health concern.
12        (3) More than 50% of students 18 years of age or older
13    and under 24 reported having a severe psychological
14    problem.
15        (4) More than 50% of students 18 years of age or older
16    and under 24 reported feelings of hopelessness.
17        (5) Higher education counseling centers are devoting
18    more time to rapid-response treatment, with more than 25%
19    of students who sought help reporting that they had
20    intentionally hurt themselves.
21        (6) Over a 5-year period, counseling center
22    utilization increased by an average of 30% to 40%, while
23    enrollment increased by only 5%, forcing institutions of

 

 

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1    higher education to provide mental health services to more
2    students without increasing resources.
3    (b) The purposes of this Act are the following:
4        (1) To ensure institutions of higher education are
5    provided with accurate information on the mental health
6    concerns facing students.
7        (2) To provide detailed recommendations that
8    institutions of higher education and this State can use to
9    improve the mental health services available to students
10    and properly treat the rising number of students with
11    mental health issues.
 
12    Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:
13    "Commission" means the Advisory Commission on Serving and
14Supporting Students with Mental Health Disabilities in
15Institutions of Higher Education.
16    "Executive Director" means the Executive Director of the
17Board of Higher Education.
 
18    Section 15. Commission created.
19    (a) The Board of Higher Education shall establish a
20commission to be known as the Advisory Commission on Serving
21and Supporting Students with Mental Health Disabilities in
22Institutions of Higher Education. The Commission may not be
23comprised of more than 25 members and must include all of the
24following members, to be appointed within 60 days after the

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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1        enrolled in an institution of higher education on the
2        date of appointment. Any remaining members must be
3        individuals with a mental health disability who have
4        attended an institution of higher education.
5    (b) The members of the Commission shall serve without
6compensation, but must be reimbursed for reasonable travel
7expenses, subject to appropriation to the Board of Higher
8Education and the rules of the appropriate travel control
9board. The Board of Higher Education and the federal government
10may provide administrative and other support to the Commission.
11The Board of Higher Education shall make available to the
12Commission necessary equipment, supplies, and services.
 
13    Section 20. Meetings. No later than 60 days after the
14appointment of the members of the Commission under Section 15,
15the Commission shall hold its first meeting, on a date
16determined by the Board of Higher Education, and must select a
17chairperson and vice chairperson from among the members of the
18Commission. The vice chairperson must be a member who is a
19student or former student with a mental health disability.
20After its first meeting, the Commission must meet at the call
21of the chairperson, but not more than a total of 8 times.
 
22    Section 25. Study and report.
23    (a) The Commission shall conduct a study and prepare
24reports for the Higher Education Committee of the House of

 

 

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

 

 

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1    students with mental health disabilities in institutions
2    of higher education.
3        (3) Recommendations to improve the overall education
4    and retention and graduation of students with mental health
5    disabilities in institutions of higher education, with the
6    goal of helping those students access educational
7    opportunities equal to those of their peers who do not have
8    a disability.
9    (b) The Commission shall prepare and submit to the
10Executive Director, the Higher Education Committee of the House
11of Representatives, and the Higher Education Committee of the
12Senate all of the following:
13        (1) An interim report that summarizes the progress of
14    the Commission, along with any interim findings,
15    conclusions, and recommendations, as described in
16    subsection (a).
17        (2) A final report that states final findings,
18    conclusions, and recommendations, as described in
19    subsection (a).
20    (c) The reports required under subsection (b) shall be
21prepared and submitted by the following dates:
22        (1) in the case of the interim report, no later than
23    one year after the date in which all of the members of the
24    Commission are appointed; and
25        (2) in the case of the final report, no later than 2
26    years after the date in which all of the members of the

 

 

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1    Commission are appointed.
 
2    Section 90. Dissolution and repealer.
3    (a) The Commission is dissolved on the day after the date
4the Commission submits its final report under Section 25.
5    (b) This Act is repealed on June 1, 2023.