HB1233 Engrossed LRB095 06716 HLH 27674 b

1     AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Illinois Lottery Law is amended by changing
5 Section 21.6 as follows:
 
6     (20 ILCS 1605/21.6)
7     Sec. 21.6. Scratch-off for Illinois veterans.
8     (a) The Department, or any successor in interest, shall
9 offer a special instant scratch-off game for the benefit of
10 Illinois veterans. The game shall commence on January 1, 2006
11 or as soon thereafter, at the discretion of the Director, as is
12 reasonably practical. The operation of the game shall be
13 governed by this Act and any rules adopted by the Department.
14 If any provision of this Section is inconsistent with any other
15 provision of this Act, then this Section governs. The
16 Department, or any successor in interest, shall operate the
17 game so that tickets are fully available and distributed to
18 agents year-round. Tickets shall be available in all instant
19 ticket dispensing machines controlled by the Department or any
20 successor in interest.
21     The Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs shall approve
22 the ticket design for the special instant scratch-off game. The
23 ticket design shall emphasize patriotic themes and achieve

 

 

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1 design continuity and familiarity for ticket purchasers. The
2 Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs is authorized to
3 communicate directly with Lottery agents to promote the special
4 game, and that communication shall be facilitated by the
5 Department of Revenue. Any cost related to such communication
6 shall be included as an administrative expense in calculating
7 net revenue under subsection (b).
8     (b) The Illinois Veterans Assistance Fund is created as a
9 special fund in the State treasury. The net revenue from the
10 Illinois veterans scratch-off game shall be deposited into the
11 Fund for appropriation by the General Assembly solely to the
12 Department of Veterans Affairs for making grants, funding
13 additional services, or conducting additional research
14 projects relating to:
15         (i) veterans' post traumatic stress disorder;
16         (ii) veterans' homelessness;
17         (iii) the health insurance costs of veterans;
18         (iv) veterans' disability benefits, including but not
19     limited to, disability benefits provided by veterans
20     service organizations and veterans assistance commissions
21     or centers; and
22         (v) the long-term care of veterans.
23     Moneys collected from the special instant scratch-off game
24 shall be used only as a supplemental financial resource and
25 shall not supplant existing moneys that the Department of
26 Veterans Affairs may currently expend for the purposes set

 

 

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1 forth in items (i) through (v) (i-v).
2     Moneys received for the purposes of this Section,
3 including, without limitation, net revenue from the special
4 instant scratch-off game and from gifts, grants, and awards
5 from any public or private entity, must be deposited into the
6 Fund. Any interest earned on moneys in the Fund must be
7 deposited into the Fund.
8     For purposes of this subsection, "net revenue" means the
9 total amount for which tickets have been sold less the sum of
10 the amount paid out in the prizes and the actual administrative
11 expenses of the Department solely related to the scratch-off
12 game under this Section.
13     (c) During the time that tickets are sold for the Illinois
14 veterans scratch-off game, the Department shall not
15 unreasonably diminish the efforts devoted to marketing and
16 distributing the any other instant scratch-off lottery game.
17     (d) The Department may adopt any rules necessary to
18 implement and administer the provisions of this Section.
19 (Source: P.A. 94-585, eff. 8-15-05; revised 9-6-05.)
 
20     Section 10. The Department of Veterans Affairs Act is
21 amended by changing Section 4 as follows:
 
22     (20 ILCS 2805/4)  (from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 69)
23     Sec. 4. Veterans' service officers.
24     (a) A veterans' service officer shall be assigned to each

 

 

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1 field office. He must be an honorably discharged veteran from
2 service in the Armed Forces of the United States. He must have
3 served during a time of hostilities with a foreign country, and
4 must meet one or more of the following conditions:
5         (i) The veteran served a total of at least 6 months.
6         (ii) The veteran served for the duration of hostilities
7     regardless of the length of engagement.
8         (iii) The veteran was discharged on the basis of
9     hardship.
10         (iv) The veteran was released from active duty because
11     of a service connected disability and was discharged under
12     honorable conditions.
13     As used in this Section, "time of hostilities with a
14 foreign country" means any period of time in the past, present,
15 or future during which a declaration of war by the United
16 States Congress has been or is in effect or during which an
17 emergency condition has been or is in effect that is recognized
18 by the issuance of a Presidential proclamation or a
19 Presidential executive order and in which the armed forces
20 expeditionary medal or other campaign service medals are
21 awarded according to Presidential executive order.
22     (b) The duties of veterans' service officers shall include:
23         (1) assisting veterans and their families in working
24     with federal, State, and local agencies that administer
25     programs for veterans;
26         (2) assisting veterans in maximizing State and federal

 

 

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1     benefits that may be available to them;
2         (3) streamlining the benefit application and awareness
3     process;
4         (4) coordinating community outreach to promote
5     veterans assistance programs;
6         (5) promoting the use of veterans advocates in the
7     State and serving as a link between veterans, veterans
8     advocates, and the Department; and
9         (6) recommending improvements in outreach methods,
10     programs, and training.
11     Subject to appropriation, the Director of Veterans Affairs
12 shall appoint a Chief Veterans' Service Officer who shall serve
13 at the pleasure of the Director and who shall coordinate the
14 duties and activities of all veterans' service officers
15 assigned to field offices. The Chief Veterans' Service Officer
16 shall also advise senior Department staff regarding the duties
17 and activities of veterans' service officers.
18 (Source: P.A. 88-275.)