102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB0618

 

Introduced 2/8/2021, by Rep. LaToya Greenwood

 

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, 2022, and to other specified agencies in electronic form. Provides that the Act is repealed on December 1, 2023. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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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

 

 

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1Assembly and work directly with State agencies and
2institutions of higher education to improve and expand
3policies, services, programs, and opportunities for military
4service members, veterans, and their families.
5    (b) The Task Force shall review how various State entities
6and institutions of higher education within the State accept
7or deny military education, military training, military
8service and experience, community involvement, independent
9study, and professional and occupational licensing for various
10careers, as well as the licenses that military spouses and
11dependents carry from state to state. The Task Force shall
12review how Illinois recognizes or denies accreditation from
13regional and national accreditation boards and how that
14impacts military service members, veterans, and their spouses
15and dependent children.
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
20to the 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.

 

 

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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
10to our 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
23the State.
 
24    Section 15. Task Force members.
25    (a) The Task Force shall have 20 members, comprised as

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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1        Transcript System;
2            (P) Coast Guard Institute; and
3            (Q) Servicemembers Opportunity College.
 
4    Section 30. Report. The Task Force shall submit a report
5of its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly
6and to the Governor on or before December 1, 2022. An
7electronic form of the report shall also be provided to each
8relevant State agency, including, but not limited to, the
9Department of Veterans' Affairs and Department of Financial
10and Professional Regulation, and to the Illinois Board of
11Higher Education, Illinois Community College Board, Illinois
12Articulation Initiative, and to all public and private
13institutions of higher education throughout the State.
 
14    Section 35. Repeal. This Act is repealed on December 1,
152023.
 
16    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
17becoming law.