101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB5424

 

Introduced , by Rep. Grant Wehrli - Avery Bourne - Patrick Windhorst - Amy Grant

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Veterans' Licensure and Workforce Task Force Act. Creates the Veterans' Licensure and Workforce Task Force to advise the Governor and General Assembly and work directly with State agencies and institutions of higher education to improve and expand policies, services, programs, and opportunities for service members, veterans, and their families. Provides specified subjects for the Task Force to review and make recommendations on. Requires the Task Force to prepare and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor on or before December 1, 2021, and to other specified agencies in electronic form. Provides that the Act is repealed on December 1, 2022. Effective immediately.


LRB101 19537 CPF 69010 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5424LRB101 19537 CPF 69010 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 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Veterans' Licensure and Workforce Task Force Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
7    "Institution of higher education" means the University of
8Illinois, Southern Illinois University, Chicago State
9University, Eastern Illinois University, Governors State
10University, Illinois State University, Northeastern Illinois
11University, Northern Illinois University, Western Illinois
12University, a community college, as that term is defined under
13Section 1-2 of the Public Community College Act, any college
14under the Public Community College Act, and any institution
15that receives funds under the Higher Education Student
16Assistance Act.
17    "Military service member" means a current or former member
18of an active, guard, or reserve component in the Army, Navy,
19Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Space Force.
 
20    Section 10. Veterans' Licensure and Workforce Task Force.
21    (a) The Veterans' Licensure and Workforce Task Force is
22created. The Task Force shall advise the Governor and General

 

 

HB5424- 2 -LRB101 19537 CPF 69010 b

1Assembly and work directly with State agencies and institutions
2of higher education to improve and expand policies, services,
3programs, and opportunities for military service members,
4veterans, and their families.
5    (b) The Task Force shall review how various State entities
6and institutions of higher education within the State accept or
7deny military education, military training, military service
8and experience, community involvement, independent study, and
9professional and occupational licensing for various careers,
10as well as the licenses that military spouses and dependents
11carry from state to state. The Task Force shall review how
12Illinois recognizes or denies accreditation from regional and
13national accreditation boards and how that impacts military
14service members, veterans, and their spouses and dependent
15children.
16    (c) The Task Force shall review the costs that military
17service members, veterans, and their families undertake for
18re-certification and license renewal fees and the cost to the
19military service member, veteran, or their family member and to
20the government for again accomplishing higher education
21coursework that the military service member, veteran, or their
22family member has already accomplished through his or her
23military education and training.
24    (d) The Task Force shall review how Army, Air Force, and
25Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps credits are accepted from
26cadets and midshipmen by institutions of higher education.

 

 

HB5424- 3 -LRB101 19537 CPF 69010 b

1    (e) The Task Force shall make recommendations on how to
2make Illinois more veteran-friendly regarding education,
3training, and licenses already held by military service
4members, veterans, and their families, with the goal of
5reducing unemployment, homelessness, and financial hardships
6among its military service member and veteran population,
7attracting skilled veterans and their families to our State,
8and empowering trained military service members and their
9families to better provide for their families and contribute to
10our economy sooner.
11    (f) The Task Force shall review and make recommendations
12regarding professional and occupational licensing and the
13difficulties encountered by military service members,
14veterans, and their spouses and dependents, including, but not
15limited to, exploring the licensing of those persons with
16out-of-state licenses in equivalent occupations. The Task
17Force shall make recommendations on how to best effectuate the
18recognition of military experience for academic credit,
19industry-recognized credentials, and college degrees.
20    (g) The Task Force shall assess ways the State can improve
21the rate at which portability of licensures for military
22service members, veterans, and their spouses is approved by the
23State.
 
24    Section 15. Task Force members.
25    (a) The Task Force shall have 20 members, comprised as

 

 

HB5424- 4 -LRB101 19537 CPF 69010 b

1follows:
2        (1) The Director of Veterans' Affairs or the Director's
3    designee, who shall serve as chairperson.
4        (2) Two members from the House of Representatives,
5    appointed one each by the Speaker of the House and the
6    House Minority Leader.
7        (3) Two members of the Senate, appointed one each by
8    the President of the Senate and the Senate Minority Leader.
9        (4) One veteran, appointed by the Director of Veterans'
10    Affairs.
11        (5) The Secretary of Financial and Professional
12    Regulation or the Secretary's designee.
13        (6) A representative from the Illinois Board of Higher
14    Education appointed by the Illinois Board of Higher
15    Education.
16        (7) A representative from the Illinois Community
17    College Board appointed by the Illinois Community College
18    Board.
19        (8) A representative from the Illinois Articulation
20    Initiative appointed by the Illinois Articulation
21    Initiative.
22        (9) Six representatives from a variety of veterans
23    organizations representing geographic diversity in the
24    State, including, but not limited to, members of various
25    war eras, different branches, different service
26    components, military spouses, and college veteran support

 

 

HB5424- 5 -LRB101 19537 CPF 69010 b

1    services directors, appointed by the Director of Veterans'
2    Affairs.
3        (10) Four members, one of whom shall be appointed by
4    the chair of the Veterans' Affairs Committee of the House
5    of Representatives, one of whom shall be appointed by the
6    minority spokesperson of the Veterans' Affairs Committee
7    of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be
8    appointed by the chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee of
9    the Senate, and one of whom shall be appointed by the
10    minority spokesperson of the Veterans Affairs Committee of
11    the Senate. Those appointed to the Task Force under this
12    paragraph shall be members of different Illinois counties'
13    Veterans Assistance Commissions, Veteran Service Officers,
14    and VITAS officials.
15    (b) Task Force members shall serve without compensation but
16may be reimbursed for their expenses incurred in performing
17their duties.
18    (c) The Task Force shall meet at least quarterly beginning
19as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act,
20and at other times as determined by the Task Force.
 
21    Section 20. Administrative support. The Department of
22Veterans' Affairs shall provide administrative and other
23support to the Task Force.
 
24    Section 25. Study. The Task Force shall perform a study,

 

 

HB5424- 6 -LRB101 19537 CPF 69010 b

1which shall review all of the following and make any
2recommendations the Task Force deems appropriate:
3        (1) Any materials produced by the Military Prior
4    Learning Assessment Task Force, which was created by Public
5    Act 99-395, with an analysis of any shortcomings relating
6    to military service members, student veterans, and Reserve
7    Officer Training Corps members.
8        (2) The Educational Credit for Military Experience
9    Act, with an analysis of any shortcomings relating to
10    military service members, student veterans, and Reserve
11    Officer Training Corps members.
12        (3) Professional and occupational licensing and the
13    difficulties encountered by military service members,
14    veterans, and their spouses and dependents, including, but
15    not limited to, exploring the licensing of military service
16    members with out-of-state licenses in equivalent
17    occupations and how to best effectuate the recognition of
18    military experience for academic credit,
19    industry-recognized licenses, credentials, and college
20    degrees.
21        (4) The costs and burdens that military service
22    members, veterans, and their families undertake for
23    re-certification and license renewal fees.
24        (5) The costs and burdens, both to the veteran and to
25    the State and federal governments, for re-accomplishing
26    higher education coursework that a veteran has already

 

 

HB5424- 7 -LRB101 19537 CPF 69010 b

1    taken through his or her military education and training,
2    as shown by the following:
3            (A) American Council on Education Military Guide;
4            (B) DD Form 2586 for Verification of Military
5        Experience and Training;
6            (C) Community College of the Air Force;
7            (D) Air University;
8            (E) College Level Examination Program;
9            (F) Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education
10        Support program;
11            (G) Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education
12        Support Subject Standardized Tests;
13            (H) Excelsior College Examinations;
14            (I) Air Force Institute of Technology;
15            (J) Department of Defense schools, such as the
16        Defense Language Institute;
17            (K) DA Form 1059 for Army Service School Academic
18        Evaluation Report;
19            (L) Non-commissioned officer evaluation reports;
20            (M) DD Form 295 for Application for the Evaluation
21        of Learning Experiences During Military Service;
22            (N) Joint Services Transcript, otherwise known as
23        the Sailor Marine Corps American Council on Education
24        Registry Transcript;
25            (O) Army American Council on Education Registry
26        Transcript System;

 

 

HB5424- 8 -LRB101 19537 CPF 69010 b

1            (P) Coast Guard Institute; and
2            (Q) Servicemembers Opportunity College.
 
3    Section 30. Report. The Task Force shall submit a report of
4its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly and to
5the Governor on or before December 1, 2021. An electronic form
6of the report shall also be provided to each relevant State
7agency, including, but not limited to, the Department of
8Veterans' Affairs and Department of Financial and Professional
9Regulation, and to the Illinois Board of Higher Education,
10Illinois Community College Board, Illinois Articulation
11Initiative, and to all public and private institutions of
12higher education throughout the State.
 
13    Section 35. Repeal. This Act is repealed on December 1,
142022.
 
15    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
16becoming law.