Public Act 097-0765
 
SB3671 EnrolledLRB097 18888 RPM 64126 b

    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Department of Veterans Affairs Act is
amended by changing Sections 2 and 8 as follows:
 
    (20 ILCS 2805/2)  (from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 67)
    Sec. 2. Powers and duties. The Department shall have the
following powers and duties:
    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
governmental agency by reason of the service of such veteran,
and in pursuance thereof shall:
        (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;
        (2) Establish field offices and direct the activities
    of the personnel assigned to such offices;
        (3) Create a volunteer field force of accredited
    representatives, representing educational institutions,
    labor organizations, veterans organizations, employers,
    churches, and farm organizations;
        (4) Conduct informational and training services;
        (5) Conduct educational programs through newspapers,
    periodicals and radio for the specific purpose of
    disseminating information affecting veterans and their
    dependents;
        (6) Coordinate the services and activities of all state
    departments having services and resources affecting
    veterans and their dependents;
        (7) Encourage and assist in the coordination of
    agencies within counties giving service to veterans and
    their dependents;
        (8) Cooperate with veterans organizations and other
    governmental agencies;
        (9) Make, alter, amend and promulgate reasonable rules
    and procedures for the administration of this Act;
        (10) Make and publish annual reports to the Governor
    regarding the administration and general operation of the
    Department;
        (11) (Blank); and
        (12) (Blank). Conduct an annual review of the benefits
    received by Illinois veterans that compares benefits
    received by Illinois veterans with the benefits received by
    veterans in all other states and U.S. territories. The
    required annual review shall include, but not be limited
    to, (1) the average benefit paid to individual veterans
    from Illinois, in direct comparison to the average benefit
    paid to individual veterans of each of the other states and
    U.S. territories; (2) the number of veterans receiving
    benefits in Illinois for the first time during the year
    compared to the number of claims filed by Illinois veterans
    during the year; (3) the aggregate number of Illinois
    veterans receiving benefits compared to the number of
    veterans from each of the other states and U.S. territories
    receiving benefits; and (4) a categorical analysis of the
    types of injuries and disabilities for which benefits are
    being paid in Illinois and each of the other states and
    U.S. territories. The benefits review shall be reported to
    the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Illinois
    Congressional delegation upon the completion of the report
    each year.
    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
Illinois veterans. Grants from these funds, except for the
funds established under Sections 2.01a and 2.03, shall be
subject to appropriation.
    The Department has the power to make grants, from funds
appropriated from the Korean War Veterans National Museum and
Library Fund, to private organizations for the benefit of the
Korean War Veterans National Museum and Library.
    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.
(Source: P.A. 97-297, eff. 1-1-12.)
 
    (20 ILCS 2805/8)
    Sec. 8. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Outpatient
Counseling Program. Subject to appropriations for that
purpose, the Department, in consultation with the Department of
Human Services, shall contract with professional counseling
specialists to provide a range of confidential counseling and
direct treatment services to war-affected Southwest Asia
combat veterans and their family members, and to provide
additional treatment services to Viet Nam War veterans for
post-traumatic stress disorder, particularly those Viet Nam
veterans whose post-traumatic stress disorder has intensified
or initially emerged due to the war in the Middle East. Any
such contracts entered into by the Department must be with
individuals and entities pre-approved by the U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs and must be for the provision of services
pre-approved by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In
consultation with the Department of Human Services, the
Department shall, to the extent funds are available:
        (1) develop an educational program designed to inform
    and train primary health care professionals, including
    mental health professionals, about the effects of
    war-related stress and trauma;
        (2) provide informational and counseling services for
    the purpose of establishing and fostering peer-support
    networks throughout the State for families of deployed
    members of the reserves and the Illinois National Guard;
    and
        (3) provide for veterans' families a referral network
    of mental health providers who are skilled in treating
    deployment stress, combat stress, and post-traumatic
    stress.
    As used in this Section, "Southwest Asia combat veteran"
means an Illinois resident who is, or who was honorably
discharged as, a member of the Armed Forces of the United
States, a member of the Illinois National Guard, or a member of
any reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States
and who served on active duty in connection with Operation
Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, or Operation Iraqi
Freedom.
(Source: P.A. 95-576, eff. 8-31-07.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.