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Public Act 100-0084
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| SB0866 Enrolled | LRB100 08696 MJP 18831 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 |
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 |
following
powers and duties:
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To perform such acts at the request of any veteran, or his |
or her spouse,
surviving spouse or dependents as shall be |
reasonably necessary
or reasonably incident to obtaining or |
endeavoring to obtain for the requester
any advantage, benefit |
or emolument accruing or due to such person under
any law of |
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, |
and in pursuance
thereof shall:
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(1) Contact veterans, their survivors and dependents |
and advise them of
the benefits of state and federal laws |
and assist them in obtaining such
benefits;
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(2) Establish field offices and direct the activities |
of the personnel
assigned to such offices;
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(3) Create and maintain a volunteer field force; the |
volunteer field force may include representatives from the |
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following without limitation: educational institutions, |
labor organizations, veterans
organizations, employers, |
churches, and farm organizations; the volunteer field |
force may not process federal veterans assistance claims;
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(4) Conduct informational and training services;
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(5) Conduct educational programs through newspapers, |
periodicals, social media, television, and radio
for the |
specific purpose of disseminating information affecting |
veterans
and their dependents;
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(6) Coordinate the services and activities of all state |
departments having
services and resources affecting |
veterans and their dependents;
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(7) Encourage and assist in the coordination of |
agencies within counties
giving service to veterans and |
their dependents;
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(8) Cooperate with veterans organizations and other |
governmental agencies;
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(9) Make, alter, amend and promulgate reasonable rules |
and procedures for
the administration of this Act;
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(10) Make and publish annual reports to the Governor |
regarding the
administration and general operation of the |
Department;
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(11) (Blank); and |
(12) (Blank); and . |
(13) Provide informational resources and education to |
veterans returning from deployment regarding service |
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animals for individuals with disabilities, including, but |
not limited to, resources and education on service animals |
that guide people who are blind, pull a wheelchair, alert a |
person with hearing loss, protect a person having a |
seizure, assist a person with a traumatic brain injury, and |
calm a person with post-traumatic stress disorder during an |
anxiety attack or psychiatric episode.
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The Department may accept and hold on behalf of the State, |
if for the
public interest, a grant, gift, devise or bequest of |
money or property to
the Department made for the general |
benefit of Illinois veterans,
including the conduct of |
informational and training services by the Department
and other |
authorized purposes of the Department. The Department shall |
cause
each grant, gift, devise or bequest to be kept as a |
distinct fund and shall
invest such funds in the manner |
provided by the Public Funds Investment Act, as
now or |
hereafter amended, and shall make such reports as may
be |
required by the Comptroller concerning what funds are so held |
and
the manner in which such funds are invested.
The Department |
may make grants from these funds for the general benefit of
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Illinois veterans. Grants from these funds, except for the |
funds established
under Sections 2.01a and 2.03, shall be |
subject to appropriation.
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The Department has the power to make grants, from funds |
appropriated from the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund, for |
benefits authorized under the Survivors Compensation Act. |