101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB3424
 
Introduced , by Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 

 
20 ILCS 2805/6 new

     Amends the Department of Veterans' Affairs Act. Creates the Veterans' Disability Compensation Task Force. Provides specified objectives for the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall consist of 15 members appointed by the chairs of the Veterans Affairs Committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Provides that the members of the Task Force shall be members of different Illinois counties' Veteran's Assistance Commissions, Veteran Service Officers, VITAS officials, and AMVETS officials. Provides that the Task Force shall meet once each month and that joint hearings of the Veterans Affairs Committees of the House of Representatives and Senate shall be held once each month. Provides that the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall provide administrative and other support to the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall prepare a report of its findings and recommendations and submit it to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before May 1, 2020. Effective immediately.
  


LRB101 10370 CPF 55476 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
 
 
A BILL FOR
 

  
HB3424LRB101 10370 CPF 55476 b


  
1    AN ACT concerning veterans.
  
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
3represented in the General Assembly:
  
 
 
4    Section 5. The Department of Veterans' Affairs Act is 
5amended  by adding Section 6 as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 2805/6 new)
7    Sec. 6. Veterans' Disability Compensation Task Force.
8    (a) The Veterans' Disability Compensation Task Force is 
9created. The Task Force has the following objectives:
10        (1) Determine why Illinois is ranked 52nd among all 
11    other states and U.S. territories in providing disability 
12    compensation to veterans and explore ways to address the 
13    disparity.
14        (2) Determine what lessons can be taken from the 
15    legionnaires' disease outbreak at Quincy, including, but 
16    not limited to, what happened and why it happened.
17        (3) Evaluate the process that the Illinois Veterans 
18    Affairs Commission uses to provide disability compensation 
19    and how that process differs from states that have better 
20    records of veteran care.
21    (b) The Task Force shall consist of 15 members appointed by 
22the chair of the Veterans' Affairs Committee in the House of 
23Representatives and the chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee 
 
 
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1in the Senate. The members of the Task Force shall be members 
2of different Illinois counties' Veteran's Assistance 
3Commissions, Veteran Service Officers, VITAS officials, and 
4AMVETS officials.
5    (c) Task Force members shall serve without compensation but 
6may be reimbursed for their expenses incurred in performing 
7their duties. The Task Force shall meet once each month, and 
8joint hearings of the Veterans Affairs Committees of the House 
9of Representatives and Senate shall be held once each month.
10    (d) The Department of Veterans' Affairs shall provide 
11administrative and other support to the Task Force. 
12    (e) The Task Force shall prepare a report that summarizes 
13its work and makes recommendations resulting from its study. 
14The Task Force shall submit the report of its findings and 
15recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on or 
16before May 1, 2020. 
 
 
17    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
18becoming law.