IL Elevates Gambling Disorder, Others Regulate Kratom

Check out these policy developments in behavioral health from across the U.S. map:

• Illinois’s Substance Use Disorder Act now includes gambling disorders under a law the governor signed in July 2026 that requires the state to provide counseling, referral and other supportive services for people with gambling disorders.

• $2 million is being proposed in Massachusetts to help the state’s Department of Mental Health fund its child psychiatry access program for young moms. The state now covers postpartum support for a full year after birth for moms covered by the state’s Medicaid program.

• A senate bill passed in California would prohibit artificial intelligence algorithms from advertising or actually providing psychotherapy via a chatbot in California. The bill, if enacted, would require confidentiality of therapy records. Several associations including the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists support the bill that now goes to Gov. Newsom to sign.

• Tennessee licensed professional counselors can now practice outside of the state if granted privileges under a state compact. Tennessee is the 9th state to allow this.

• Several states are pushing back on Kratom sales - including in Massachusetts, where we recently covered a story about a man buying Kratom at a gas station, and in North Dakota where Gov. Armstrong issued an executive order barring sale, use and possession of all Kratom and its products. Minnesota has not banned it but has restricted use to 21+

• A new law in New York gives gives terminally ill residents with less than six months to live the option to voluntarily request medication for medical aid in dying. Gov. Hochul signed the legislation into law early 2026. Several safety measures are required including physician confirmation that the patient has a terminal illness.