Full Text of SB0040 94th General Assembly
SB0040 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006 SB0040
Introduced 1/26/2005, by Sen. Miguel del Valle SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: |
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20 ILCS 2805/2 |
from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 67 |
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Amends the Department of Veterans Affairs Act. Requires the Department of Veterans' Affairs to conduct an annual review comparing the benefits that Illinois veterans receive with those benefits received by veterans in other states and U.S. territories. Provides that this benefits review shall be annually reported to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Illinois Congressional delegation. Effective January 1, 2006.
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A BILL FOR
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SB0040 |
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LRB094 04310 RSP 34337 b |
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| AN ACT concerning State government.
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| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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| represented in the General Assembly:
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| Section 5. The Department of Veterans Affairs Act is | 5 |
| amended by changing Section 2 as follows:
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| (20 ILCS 2805/2) (from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 67)
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| Sec. 2. Powers and duties. The Department shall have the | 8 |
| following
powers and duties:
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| To perform such acts at the request of any veteran, or his | 10 |
| or her spouse,
surviving spouse or dependents as shall be | 11 |
| reasonably necessary
or reasonably incident to obtaining or | 12 |
| endeavoring to obtain for the requester
any advantage, benefit | 13 |
| or emolument accruing or due to such person under
any law of | 14 |
| the United States, the State of Illinois or any other state or
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| governmental agency by reason of the service of such veteran, | 16 |
| and in pursuance
thereof shall:
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| 1. (1) Contact veterans, their survivors and dependents | 18 |
| and advise them of
the benefits of state and federal laws | 19 |
| and assist them in obtaining such
benefits;
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| 2. (2) Establish field offices and direct the | 21 |
| activities of the personnel
assigned to such offices;
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| 3. (3) Create a volunteer field force of accredited | 23 |
| representatives,
representing educational institutions, | 24 |
| labor organizations, veterans
organizations, employers, | 25 |
| churches, and farm organizations;
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| 4. (4) Conduct informational and training services;
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| 5. (5) Conduct educational programs through newspapers, | 28 |
| periodicals and radio
for the specific purpose of | 29 |
| disseminating information affecting veterans
and their | 30 |
| dependents;
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| 6. (6) Coordinate the services and activities of all | 32 |
| state departments having
services and resources affecting |
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SB0040 |
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LRB094 04310 RSP 34337 b |
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| veterans and their dependents;
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| 7. (7) Encourage and assist in the coordination of | 3 |
| agencies within counties
giving service to veterans and | 4 |
| their dependents;
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| 8. (8) Cooperate with veterans organizations and other | 6 |
| governmental agencies;
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| 9. (9) Make, alter, amend and promulgate reasonable | 8 |
| rules and procedures for
the administration of this Act;
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| 10. (10) Make and publish annual reports to the Governor | 10 |
| regarding the
administration and general operation of the | 11 |
| Department; and
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| 11. (11) Encourage the State to implement more programs | 13 |
| to address the wide
range of issues faced by Persian Gulf | 14 |
| War Veterans, especially those who took
part in combat, by | 15 |
| creating an official commission to further study Persian
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| Gulf War Diseases.
The commission shall consist of 9 | 17 |
| members appointed as follows: the Speaker
and Minority | 18 |
| Leader of the House of Representatives and the President | 19 |
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Minority Leader of the Senate shall each appoint one | 20 |
| member from the General
Assembly, the
Governor shall | 21 |
| appoint 4 members to represent veterans' organizations, | 22 |
| and the
Department shall appoint one member. The commission | 23 |
| members shall serve
without compensation ; and
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| (12) Conduct an annual review of the benefits received | 25 |
| by Illinois veterans that compares Illinois veterans' | 26 |
| benefits with the benefits received by veterans in other | 27 |
| states and U.S. territories. The benefits review shall be | 28 |
| reported to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the | 29 |
| Illinois Congressional delegation upon the completion of | 30 |
| the report each year.
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| The Department may accept and hold on behalf of the State, | 32 |
| if for the
public interest, a grant, gift, devise or bequest of | 33 |
| money or property to
the Department made for the general | 34 |
| benefit of Illinois veterans,
including the conduct of | 35 |
| informational and training services by the Department
and other | 36 |
| authorized purposes of the Department. The Department shall |
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| cause
each grant, gift, devise or bequest to be kept as a | 2 |
| distinct fund and shall
invest such funds in the manner | 3 |
| provided by the Public Funds Investment Act, as
now or | 4 |
| hereafter amended, and shall make such reports as may
be | 5 |
| required by the Comptroller concerning what funds are so held | 6 |
| and
the manner in which such funds are invested.
The Department | 7 |
| may make grants from these funds for the general benefit of
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| Illinois veterans. Grants from these funds, except for the | 9 |
| funds established
under Sections 2.01a and 2.03, shall be | 10 |
| subject to appropriation.
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| The Department has the power to make grants, from funds | 12 |
| appropriated from
the
Korean War Veterans National Museum and | 13 |
| Library Fund, to private organizations
for the benefit of the | 14 |
| Korean War Veterans National Museum and Library.
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| The Department has the power to make grants, from funds | 16 |
| appropriated from the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund, for | 17 |
| benefits authorized under the Survivors Compensation Act.
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| (Source: P.A. 92-198, eff. 8-1-01; 92-651, eff. 7-11-02; | 19 |
| 93-839, eff. 7-30-04.)
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| Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January | 21 |
| 1, 2006.
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