State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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90_HB0573

      20 ILCS 2805/5            from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 70
          Amends the Department of Veterans Affairs Act.   Provides
      that  a resident veteran is exempt from camping and admission
      fees of parks of  the  Department  of  Natural  Resources  if
      permanently  disabled  from service connected causes with any
      percentage (now 100%) disability.
                                                     LRB9003007PTcw
                                               LRB9003007PTcw
 1        AN ACT to amend the Department of Veterans Affairs Act by
 2    changing Section 5.
 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 5 as follows:
 7        (20 ILCS 2805/5) (from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 70)
 8        Sec. 5.  Exemption from camping and park fees.
 9        (a) Every veteran who  is  a  resident  of  Illinois  and
10    disabled  shall be exempt from all camping and admission fees
11    in parks under the  control  of  the  Department  of  Natural
12    Resources.   For  the  purpose  of  this  subsection  (a),  a
13    resident  disabled veteran is one who is permanently disabled
14    from  service  connected  causes  with  any  percentage  100%
15    disability or one who has permanently lost the use of  a  leg
16    or  both  legs  or  an   arm  or both arms or any combination
17    thereof or any person who is so severely disabled  as  to  be
18    unable  to  move without the aid of crutches or a wheelchair.
19    The Department shall issue free use permits to those eligible
20    veterans.   To  establish  eligibility,  the  veteran   shall
21    present  an award letter or some other identifying disability
22    document, together with proper identification, to any  office
23    of the Department.  Subject to the approval of the Department
24    of  Natural  Resources,  the  Department of Veterans' Affairs
25    shall establish the form or permit identifier to be issued.
26        (b)  Every veteran who is a resident of  Illinois  and  a
27    former  prisoner  of war shall be exempt from all camping and
28    admission fees in parks under the control of  the  Department
29    of  Natural  Resources.   For the purposes of this subsection
30    (b), a former prisoner of war is a veteran who was taken  and
31    held  prisoner by a hostile foreign force while participating
                            -2-                LRB9003007PTcw
 1    in an armed conflict as a member of the United  States  armed
 2    forces.    Any   identification   card   or   other  form  of
 3    identification issued  by  the  Veterans'  Administration  or
 4    other  governmental  agency which indicates the card-holder's
 5    former prisoner of war status shall be sufficient  to  accord
 6    such   card-holder   the   fee-exempt  admission  or  camping
 7    privileges under this subsection.
 8    (Source: P.A. 89-445, eff. 2-7-96.)

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