Rep. Mike Smiddy
Filed: 4/15/2016
 
 

 

 

 
09900HB6123ham001LRB099 19687 MJP 47679 a



1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 6123 




2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 6123 by replacing 
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:


 
 
4    "Section 5. The Military Code of Illinois is amended by 
5adding Section 93.1 as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 1805/93.1 new)
7    Sec. 93.1. Pre-deployment and post-deployment testing. All 
8members of the Illinois National Guard shall undergo 
9pre-deployment and post-deployment testing for depleted 
10uranium. The Department shall cover the costs associated with 
11such testing. If a federal law requiring pre-deployment and 
12post-deployment testing for depleted uranium for members of the 
13National Guard takes effect, then this Section 93.1 shall be 
14inoperative on and after the effective date of that federal 
15law.
 
 
 
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1    Section 10. The Department of Veterans Affairs Act is 
2amended  by changing Section 2 as follows:
 



3    (20 ILCS 2805/2)  (from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 67)


4    Sec. 2. Powers and duties. The Department shall have the 
5following
powers and duties:

6    To perform such acts at the request of any veteran, or his 
7or her spouse,
surviving spouse or dependents as shall be 
8reasonably necessary
or reasonably incident to obtaining or 
9endeavoring to obtain for the requester
any advantage, benefit 
10or emolument accruing or due to such person under
any law of 
11the United States, the State of Illinois or any other state or

12governmental agency by reason of the service of such veteran, 
13and in pursuance
thereof shall:

14        (1) Contact veterans, their survivors and dependents 
15    and advise them of
the benefits of state and federal laws 
16    and assist them in obtaining such
benefits;

17        (2) Establish field offices and direct the activities 
18    of the personnel
assigned to such offices;

19        (3) Create and maintain a volunteer field force; the 
20    volunteer field force may include representatives from the 
21    following without limitation: educational institutions, 
22    labor organizations, veterans
organizations, employers, 
23    churches, and farm organizations; the volunteer field 
24    force may not process federal veterans assistance claims; 

25        (4) Conduct informational and training services;

 
 
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1        (5) Conduct educational programs through newspapers, 
2    periodicals, social media, television, and radio
for the 
3    specific purpose of disseminating information affecting 
4    veterans
and their dependents;

5        (6) Coordinate the services and activities of all state 
6    departments having
services and resources affecting 
7    veterans and their dependents;

8        (7) Encourage and assist in the coordination of 
9    agencies within counties
giving service to veterans and 
10    their dependents;

11        (8) Cooperate with veterans organizations and other 
12    governmental agencies;

13        (9) Make, alter, amend and promulgate reasonable rules 
14    and procedures for
the administration of this Act;

15        (10) Make and publish annual reports to the Governor 
16    regarding the
administration and general operation of the 
17    Department;

18        (11) (Blank); and
19        (12) (Blank); and .
20        (13) Provide non-monetary assistance to any resident 
21    of Illinois who served on active duty in Afghanistan, Iraq, 
22    Kuwait, or Qatar with any component of the U.S. Armed 
23    Forces, including the Illinois National Guard, who 
24    requests a pre-deployment or post-deployment test for 
25    depleted uranium in accessing federal resources for 
26    pre-deployment and post-deployment testing for depleted 
 
 
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1    uranium; if a federal law requiring pre-deployment and 
2    post-deployment testing for depleted uranium for past and 
3    present members of any component of the U.S. Armed Forces 
4    takes effect, then this paragraph (13) shall be inoperative 
5    on and after the effective date of that federal law. 

6    The Department may accept and hold on behalf of the State, 
7if for the
public interest, a grant, gift, devise or bequest of 
8money or property to
the Department made for the general 
9benefit of Illinois veterans,
including the conduct of 
10informational and training services by the Department
and other 
11authorized purposes of the Department.  The Department shall 
12cause
each grant, gift, devise or bequest to be kept as a 
13distinct fund and shall
invest such funds in the manner 
14provided by the Public Funds Investment Act, as
now or 
15hereafter amended, and shall make such reports as may
be 
16required by the Comptroller concerning what funds are so held 
17and
the manner in which such funds are invested.
The Department 
18may make grants from these funds for the general benefit of

19Illinois veterans.  Grants from these funds, except for the 
20funds established
under Sections 2.01a and 2.03, shall be 
21subject to appropriation.

22    The Department has the power to make grants, from funds 
23appropriated from
the
Korean War Veterans National Museum and 
24Library Fund, to private organizations
for the benefit of the 
25Korean War Veterans National Museum and Library.

26    The Department has the power to make grants, from funds 
 
 
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1appropriated from the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund, for 
2benefits authorized under the Survivors Compensation Act.

3(Source: P.A. 99-314, eff. 8-7-15.)

  
 
4    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect June 30, 
52017.".