State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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91_HJ0003

 
                                               LRB9101524PTpk

 1                       HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, The State of  Illinois  wishes  to  address  the
 3    increasing needs of the aging and disabled who are members of
 4    the  Illinois  veterans  community  and  to  remedy  the dire
 5    shortage of beds at State Veterans Homes; and

 6        WHEREAS, The Department  of  Veterans'  Affairs  reported
 7    that  the  State  has  an  immediate  need for 330 additional
 8    nursing care beds for State Veterans Homes,  that  increasing
 9    capacity by 600 beds would serve only 12% of wartime veterans
10    who  need  skilled  care, and that increasing the capacity of
11    the Illinois Veterans Home at LaSalle by 80 beds would permit
12    the Veterans Home to properly serve  200  veterans  requiring
13    nursing care; and

14        WHEREAS, The State of Illinois pays only an estimated 39%
15    of the care costs at State Veterans Homes while paying almost
16    47%  of  the  care  costs  for  Medicaid  recipients at other
17    nursing homes, and increasing veterans home capacity would be
18    cost effective for the State subsidy of long term care; and

19        WHEREAS, Ninety percent of the Illinois veterans who  are
20    eligible  for care by a State veterans home reside within 100
21    miles of the Illinois Veterans Home at LaSalle;  the  waiting
22    list  for  a  bed  at  the LaSalle Veterans Home contains the
23    names of more than 100 eligible  veterans;  and  the  lengthy
24    list  requires  those  veterans to wait more than one year to
25    gain their desired admission; and

26        WHEREAS,  If the General Assembly provides the  necessary
27    funds  to increase the capacity of the LaSalle Veterans Home,
28    then the State would be eligible for federal reimbursement of
29    up to 65% of the construction costs  through  federal  grants
30    and  the  efforts  of  the Illinois congressional delegation;
31    therefore, be it
 
                            -2-                LRB9101524PTpk
 1        RESOLVED,  BY  THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES   OF   THE
 2    NINETY-FIRST  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
 3    SENATE CONCURRING  HEREIN,  That  all  concerned  make  every
 4    effort  to  obtain  State  and  federal  funds  so  that  the
 5    Department  of  Veterans' Affairs may increase by at least 80
 6    beds the capacity of the Illinois Veterans Home at LaSalle to
 7    better serve the north central  region  of  Illinois  and  to
 8    accommodate   the  increasing  number  of  Illinois  veterans
 9    eligible for care; and be it further

10        RESOLVED, That suitable  copies  of  this  resolution  be
11    delivered  to  the  Illinois  congressional  delegation,  the
12    Governor,  the  Department  of  Veterans'  Affairs,  and  the
13    Illinois Veterans Home at LaSalle.

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