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| 1 | AN ACT concerning military service.
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| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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| 3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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| 4 | Section 5. The Department of Veterans Affairs Act is | ||||||
| 5 | amended by changing Section 20 as follows: | ||||||
| 6 | (20 ILCS 2805/20)
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| 7 | Sec. 20. Illinois Discharged Servicemember Task Force. The | ||||||
| 8 | Illinois Discharged Servicemember Task Force is hereby created | ||||||
| 9 | within the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Task Force shall | ||||||
| 10 | investigate the re-entry process for service members who return | ||||||
| 11 | to civilian life after being engaged in an active theater. The | ||||||
| 12 | investigation shall include the effects of post-traumatic | ||||||
| 13 | stress disorder, homelessness, disabilities, and other issues | ||||||
| 14 | the Task Force finds relevant to the re-entry process. For | ||||||
| 15 | fiscal year 2012, the Task Force shall include the availability | ||||||
| 16 | of prosthetics in its investigation. For fiscal year 2014, the | ||||||
| 17 | Task Force shall include the needs of women veterans with | ||||||
| 18 | respect to issues including, but not limited to, compensation, | ||||||
| 19 | rehabilitation, outreach, health care, and issues facing women | ||||||
| 20 | veterans in the community, and to offer recommendations on how | ||||||
| 21 | best to alleviate these needs which shall be included in the | ||||||
| 22 | Task Force Annual Report for 2014. The Task Force shall include | ||||||
| 23 | the following members: | ||||||
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| 1 | (a) a representative of the Department of Veterans | ||||||
| 2 | Affairs, who shall chair the committee;
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| 3 | (b) a representative from the Department of Military | ||||||
| 4 | Affairs;
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| 5 | (c) a representative from the Office of the Illinois | ||||||
| 6 | Attorney General;
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| 7 | (d) a member of the General Assembly appointed by the | ||||||
| 8 | Speaker of the House;
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| 9 | (e) a member of the General Assembly appointed by the | ||||||
| 10 | House Minority Leader;
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| 11 | (f) a member of the General Assembly appointed by the | ||||||
| 12 | President of the Senate;
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| 13 | (g) a member of the General Assembly appointed by the | ||||||
| 14 | Senate Minority Leader;
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| 15 | (h) 4 members chosen by the Department of Veterans | ||||||
| 16 | Affairs, who shall represent statewide veterans' | ||||||
| 17 | organizations or veterans' homeless shelters;
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| 18 | (i) one member appointed by the Lieutenant Governor; | ||||||
| 19 | and
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| 20 | (j) a representative of the United States Department of | ||||||
| 21 | Veterans Affairs shall be invited to participate.
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| 22 | Vacancies in the Task Force shall be filled by the initial | ||||||
| 23 | appointing authority. Task Force members shall serve without | ||||||
| 24 | compensation, but may be reimbursed for necessary expenses | ||||||
| 25 | incurred in performing duties associated with the Task Force.
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| 26 | By July 1, 2008 and by July 1 of each year thereafter, the | ||||||
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| 1 | Task Force shall present an annual report of its findings to | ||||||
| 2 | the Governor, the Attorney General, the Director of Veterans' | ||||||
| 3 | Affairs, the Lieutenant Governor, and the Secretary of the | ||||||
| 4 | United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
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| 5 | If the Task Force becomes inactive because active theaters | ||||||
| 6 | cease, the Director of Veterans Affairs may reactivate the Task | ||||||
| 7 | Force if active theaters are reestablished.
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| 8 | (Source: P.A. 97-414, eff. 1-1-12.) | ||||||
| 9 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
| 10 | becoming law. | ||||||