SB0866 EnrolledLRB100 08696 MJP 18831 b

1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
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 changing Section 2 as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 2805/2)  (from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 67)
7    Sec. 2. Powers and duties. The Department shall have the
8following powers and duties:
9    To perform such acts at the request of any veteran, or his
10or her spouse, surviving spouse or dependents as shall be
11reasonably necessary or reasonably incident to obtaining or
12endeavoring to obtain for the requester any advantage, benefit
13or emolument accruing or due to such person under any law of
14the United States, the State of Illinois or any other state or
15governmental agency by reason of the service of such veteran,
16and in pursuance thereof shall:
17        (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;
20        (2) Establish field offices and direct the activities
21    of the personnel assigned to such offices;
22        (3) Create and maintain a volunteer field force; the
23    volunteer field force may include representatives from the

 

 

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1    following without limitation: educational institutions,
2    labor organizations, veterans organizations, employers,
3    churches, and farm organizations; the volunteer field
4    force may not process federal veterans assistance claims;
5        (4) Conduct informational and training services;
6        (5) Conduct educational programs through newspapers,
7    periodicals, social media, television, and radio for the
8    specific purpose of disseminating information affecting
9    veterans and their dependents;
10        (6) Coordinate the services and activities of all state
11    departments having services and resources affecting
12    veterans and their dependents;
13        (7) Encourage and assist in the coordination of
14    agencies within counties giving service to veterans and
15    their dependents;
16        (8) Cooperate with veterans organizations and other
17    governmental agencies;
18        (9) Make, alter, amend and promulgate reasonable rules
19    and procedures for the administration of this Act;
20        (10) Make and publish annual reports to the Governor
21    regarding the administration and general operation of the
22    Department;
23        (11) (Blank); and
24        (12) (Blank); and .
25        (13) Provide informational resources and education to
26    veterans returning from deployment regarding service

 

 

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1    animals for individuals with disabilities, including, but
2    not limited to, resources and education on service animals
3    that guide people who are blind, pull a wheelchair, alert a
4    person with hearing loss, protect a person having a
5    seizure, assist a person with a traumatic brain injury, and
6    calm a person with post-traumatic stress disorder during an
7    anxiety attack or psychiatric episode.
8    The Department may accept and hold on behalf of the State,
9if for the public interest, a grant, gift, devise or bequest of
10money or property to the Department made for the general
11benefit of Illinois veterans, including the conduct of
12informational and training services by the Department and other
13authorized purposes of the Department. The Department shall
14cause each grant, gift, devise or bequest to be kept as a
15distinct fund and shall invest such funds in the manner
16provided by the Public Funds Investment Act, as now or
17hereafter amended, and shall make such reports as may be
18required by the Comptroller concerning what funds are so held
19and the manner in which such funds are invested. The Department
20may make grants from these funds for the general benefit of
21Illinois veterans. Grants from these funds, except for the
22funds established under Sections 2.01a and 2.03, shall be
23subject to appropriation.
24    The Department has the power to make grants, from funds
25appropriated from the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund, for
26benefits authorized under the Survivors Compensation Act.

 

 

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1(Source: P.A. 99-314, eff. 8-7-15; 99-576, eff. 7-15-16.)