101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
SB2293

 

Introduced 10/29/2019, by Sen. Jil Tracy

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
20 ILCS 2805/2.01  from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 67.01

    Amends the Department of Veterans' Affairs Act. Provides that a veteran is entitled to admission to an Illinois Veterans Home if he or she has served in the National Guard or Reserve Forces of the United States and completed 20 years of satisfactory service, is otherwise eligible to receive reserve or active duty retirement benefits, and has been an Illinois resident for at least one year before applying for admission for purposes of eligibility for domiciliary care or nursing home care (currently, only domiciliary care). Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Department of Veterans' Affairs Act is
5amended by changing Section 2.01 as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 2805/2.01)  (from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 67.01)
7    Sec. 2.01. Veterans Home admissions.
8    (a) Any honorably discharged veteran is entitled to
9admission to an Illinois Veterans Home if the applicant meets
10the requirements of this Section.
11    (b) The veteran must:
12        (1) have served in the armed forces of the United
13    States at least 1 day in World War II, the Korean Conflict,
14    the Viet Nam Campaign, or the Persian Gulf Conflict between
15    the dates recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans
16    Affairs or between any other present or future dates
17    recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a
18    war period, or have served in a hostile fire environment
19    and has been awarded a campaign or expeditionary medal
20    signifying his or her service, for purposes of eligibility
21    for domiciliary or nursing home care;
22        (2) have served and been honorably discharged or
23    retired from the armed forces of the United States for a

 

 

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1    service connected disability or injury, for purposes of
2    eligibility for domiciliary or nursing home care;
3        (3) have served as an enlisted person at least 90 days
4    on active duty in the armed forces of the United States,
5    excluding service on active duty for training purposes
6    only, and entered active duty before September 8, 1980, for
7    purposes of eligibility for domiciliary or nursing home
8    care;
9        (4) have served as an officer at least 90 days on
10    active duty in the armed forces of the United States,
11    excluding service on active duty for training purposes
12    only, and entered active duty before October 17, 1981, for
13    purposes of eligibility for domiciliary or nursing home
14    care;
15        (5) have served on active duty in the armed forces of
16    the United States for 24 months of continuous service or
17    more, excluding active duty for training purposes only, and
18    enlisted after September 7, 1980, for purposes of
19    eligibility for domiciliary or nursing home care;
20        (6) have served as a reservist in the armed forces of
21    the United States or the National Guard and the service
22    included being called to federal active duty, excluding
23    service on active duty for training purposes only, and who
24    completed the term, for purposes of eligibility for
25    domiciliary or nursing home care;
26        (7) have been discharged for reasons of hardship or

 

 

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1    released from active duty due to a reduction in the United
2    States armed forces prior to the completion of the required
3    period of service, regardless of the actual time served,
4    for purposes of eligibility for domiciliary or nursing home
5    care; or
6        (8) have served in the National Guard or Reserve Forces
7    of the United States and completed 20 years of satisfactory
8    service, be otherwise eligible to receive reserve or active
9    duty retirement benefits, and have been an Illinois
10    resident for at least one year before applying for
11    admission for purposes of eligibility for domiciliary care
12    or nursing home care only.
13    (c) The veteran must have service accredited to the State
14of Illinois or have been a resident of this State for one year
15immediately preceding the date of application.
16    (d) For admission to the Illinois Veterans Homes at Anna
17and Quincy, the veteran must have developed a disability by
18disease, wounds, or otherwise and because of the disability be
19incapable of earning a living.
20    (e) For admission to the Illinois Veterans Homes at
21Chicago, LaSalle, and Manteno, the veteran must have developed
22a disability by disease, wounds, or otherwise and, for purposes
23of eligibility for nursing home care, require nursing care
24because of the disability.
25    (f) An individual who served during a time of conflict as
26set forth in paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of this Section

 

 

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1has preference over all other qualifying candidates, for
2purposes of eligibility for domiciliary or nursing home care at
3any Illinois Veterans Home.
4    (g) A veteran or spouse, once admitted to an Illinois
5Veterans Home facility, is considered a resident for
6interfacility purposes.
7    (h) A non-veteran spouse shall only have the same priority
8for admission to a Veterans Home as a veteran if the
9non-veteran spouse and his or her veteran spouse are admitted
10at the same time to live together at the Veterans Home.
11(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15; 99-314, eff. 8-7-15;
1299-642, eff. 7-28-16; 100-392, eff. 8-25-17; 100-942, eff.
131-1-19.)
 
14    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
15becoming law.