Veterans Affairs Committee

Filed: 3/22/2007

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1233

2     AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 1233 by replacing
3 everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
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

 

 

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1 game so that tickets are fully available and distributed to
2 agents year-round. Tickets shall be available in all instant
3 ticket dispensing machines controlled by the Department or any
4 successor in interest.
5     The Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs shall approve
6 the ticket design for the special instant scratch-off game. The
7 ticket design shall emphasize patriotic themes and achieve
8 design continuity and familiarity for ticket purchasers. The
9 Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs is authorized to
10 communicate directly with Lottery agents to promote the special
11 game, and that communication shall be facilitated by the
12 Department of Revenue. Any cost related to such communication
13 shall be included as an administrative expense in calculating
14 net revenue under subsection (b).
15     (b) The Illinois Veterans Assistance Fund is created as a
16 special fund in the State treasury. The net revenue from the
17 Illinois veterans scratch-off game shall be deposited into the
18 Fund for appropriation by the General Assembly solely to the
19 Department of Veterans Affairs for making grants, funding
20 additional services, or conducting additional research
21 projects relating to:
22         (i) veterans' post traumatic stress disorder;
23         (ii) veterans' homelessness;
24         (iii) the health insurance costs of veterans;
25         (iv) veterans' disability benefits, including but not
26     limited to, disability benefits provided by veterans

 

 

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1     service organizations and veterans assistance commissions
2     or centers; and
3         (v) the long-term care of veterans.
4     Moneys collected from the special instant scratch-off game
5 shall be used only as a supplemental financial resource and
6 shall not supplant existing moneys that the Department of
7 Veterans Affairs may currently expend for the purposes set
8 forth in items (i) through (v) (i-v).
9     Moneys received for the purposes of this Section,
10 including, without limitation, net revenue from the special
11 instant scratch-off game and from gifts, grants, and awards
12 from any public or private entity, must be deposited into the
13 Fund. Any interest earned on moneys in the Fund must be
14 deposited into the Fund.
15     For purposes of this subsection, "net revenue" means the
16 total amount for which tickets have been sold less the sum of
17 the amount paid out in the prizes and the actual administrative
18 expenses of the Department solely related to the scratch-off
19 game under this Section.
20     (c) During the time that tickets are sold for the Illinois
21 veterans scratch-off game, the Department shall not
22 unreasonably diminish the efforts devoted to marketing and
23 distributing the any other instant scratch-off lottery game.
24     (d) The Department may adopt any rules necessary to
25 implement and administer the provisions of this Section.
26 (Source: P.A. 94-585, eff. 8-15-05; revised 9-6-05.)
 

 

 

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1     Section 10. The Department of Veterans Affairs Act is
2 amended by changing Section 4 as follows:
 
3     (20 ILCS 2805/4)  (from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 69)
4     Sec. 4. Veterans' service officers.
5     (a) A veterans' service officer shall be assigned to each
6 field office. He must be an honorably discharged veteran from
7 service in the Armed Forces of the United States. He must have
8 served during a time of hostilities with a foreign country, and
9 must meet one or more of the following conditions:
10         (i) The veteran served a total of at least 6 months.
11         (ii) The veteran served for the duration of hostilities
12     regardless of the length of engagement.
13         (iii) The veteran was discharged on the basis of
14     hardship.
15         (iv) The veteran was released from active duty because
16     of a service connected disability and was discharged under
17     honorable conditions.
18     As used in this Section, "time of hostilities with a
19 foreign country" means any period of time in the past, present,
20 or future during which a declaration of war by the United
21 States Congress has been or is in effect or during which an
22 emergency condition has been or is in effect that is recognized
23 by the issuance of a Presidential proclamation or a
24 Presidential executive order and in which the armed forces

 

 

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1 expeditionary medal or other campaign service medals are
2 awarded according to Presidential executive order.
3     (b) The duties of veterans' service officers shall include:
4         (1) assisting veterans and their families in working
5     with federal, State, and local agencies that administer
6     programs for veterans;
7         (2) assisting veterans in maximizing State and federal
8     benefits that may be available to them;
9         (3) streamlining the benefit application and awareness
10     process;
11         (4) coordinating community outreach to promote
12     veterans assistance programs;
13         (5) promoting the use of veterans advocates in the
14     State and serving as a link between veterans, veterans
15     advocates, and the Department; and
16         (6) recommending improvements in outreach methods,
17     programs, and training.
18     Subject to appropriation, the Director of Veterans Affairs
19 shall appoint a Chief Veterans' Service Officer who shall serve
20 at the pleasure of the Director and who shall coordinate the
21 duties and activities of all veterans' service officers
22 assigned to field offices. The Chief Veterans' Service Officer
23 shall also advise senior Department staff regarding the duties
24 and activities of veterans' service officers.
25 (Source: P.A. 88-275.)".