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| [ Introduced ] | [ Enrolled ] | [ House Amendment 001 ] |
90_HB0028eng
20 ILCS 2805/2 from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 67
Amends the Department of Veterans Affairs Act. Provides
that the Department shall create a program that would enable
State veterans facilities to provide treatment for veterans
with the Persian Gulf War Syndrome.
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1 AN ACT to amend the Department of Veterans Affairs Act by
2 changing Section 2.
3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
4 represented in the General Assembly:
5 Section 5. The Department of Veterans Affairs Act is
6 amended by changing Section 2 as follows:
7 (20 ILCS 2805/2) (from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 67)
8 Sec. 2. The Department shall have the following powers
9 and duties:
10 To perform such acts at the request of any veteran, or
11 his or her spouse, surviving spouse or dependents as shall be
12 reasonably necessary or reasonably incident to obtaining or
13 endeavoring to obtain for the requester any advantage,
14 benefit or emolument accruing or due to such person under any
15 law of the United States, the State of Illinois or any other
16 state or governmental agency by reason of the service of such
17 veteran, and in pursuance thereof shall:
18 1. Contact veterans, their survivors and dependents
19 and advise them of the benefits of state and federal laws
20 and assist them in obtaining such benefits;
21 2. Establish field offices and direct the
22 activities of the personnel assigned to such offices;
23 3. Create a volunteer field force of accredited
24 representatives, representing educational institutions,
25 labor organizations, veterans organizations, employers,
26 churches, and farm organizations;
27 4. Conduct informational and training services;
28 5. Conduct educational programs through newspapers,
29 periodicals and radio for the specific purpose of
30 disseminating information affecting veterans and their
31 dependents;
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1 6. Coordinate the services and activities of all
2 state departments having services and resources affecting
3 veterans and their dependents;
4 7. Encourage and assist in the coordination of
5 agencies within counties giving service to veterans and
6 their dependents;
7 8. Cooperate with veterans organizations and other
8 governmental agencies;
9 9. Make, alter, amend and promulgate reasonable
10 rules and procedures for the administration of this Act;
11 and
12 10. Make and publish annual reports to the Governor
13 regarding the administration and general operation of the
14 Department.
15 11. Encourage the State to implement more programs
16 to address the wide range of issues faced by Persian Gulf
17 War Veterans, especially those who took part in combat,
18 by creating an official commission to further study
19 Persian Gulf War Diseases. The commission shall consist
20 of 9 members appointed as follows: the Speaker and
21 Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and the
22 President and Minority Leader of the Senate shall each
23 appoint one member from the General Assembly, the
24 Governor shall appoint 4 members to represent veterans'
25 organizations, and the Department shall appoint one
26 member. The commission members shall serve without
27 compensation.
28 The Department may accept and hold on behalf of the
29 State, if for the public interest, a grant, gift, devise or
30 bequest of money or property to the Department made for the
31 general benefit of Illinois veterans, including the conduct
32 of informational and training services by the Department and
33 other authorized purposes of the Department. The Department
34 shall cause each grant, gift, devise or bequest to be kept as
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1 a distinct fund and shall invest such funds in the manner
2 provided by "An Act relating to certain investments of public
3 funds by public agencies", approved July 23, 1943, as now or
4 hereafter amended, and shall make such reports as may be
5 required by the Comptroller concerning what funds are so held
6 and the manner in which such funds are invested.
7 The Department has the power to make grants, from funds
8 appropriated from the Korean War Memorial Fund, to private
9 organizations, including the Korean Memorial Association of
10 Illinois, for the costs of erecting a Korean War Memorial in
11 Illinois.
12 (Source: P.A. 88-160; 88-666, eff. 9-16-94.)