Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for SB1368

Amends the Military Veterans Assistance Act. Expands the Act to allow for the formation of multi-county Veterans Assistance Commissions. Provides that veteran service organizations located in 2 or more adjacent counties having a population of 60,000 or less may enter into an agreement to come together and jointly form a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission to serve the adjacent counties in accordance with the Act. Provides that a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission may also be formed under an agreement between an existing county Veterans Assistance Commission and a veteran service organization located in an adjacent county that is without a veterans assistance commission and has a population of 60,000 or less. Requires an agreement to form and maintain a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission to set forth: (i) the distribution of funding with respect to each member county; (ii) the location of the Commission's office; (iii) the type of services provided; (iv) the superintendent selection or appointment process; (v) Commission rules and policies; and (vi) the composition of delegates and alternates on the Commission. Provides that multi-county Veterans Assistance Commissions shall have the same powers and duties under the Act as Veterans Assistance Commissions that serve one county. Makes corresponding changes in the Counties Code, the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Drug Court Treatment Act, the Veterans and Servicemembers Court Treatment Act, and the Mental Health Court Treatment Act. Effective immediately.

Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Military Veterans Assistance Act. Provides that in counties that do not have a Veterans Assistance Commission prior to January 1, 2026, and in which there exists a judicial circuit whose jurisdictional boundaries include multiple counties, veteran service organizations located within any of those counties that are within the judicial circuit's jurisdictional boundaries may come together and create a Jurisdictional Veterans Assistance Commission that shall provide services to veterans and their families who reside in those participating counties. Contains provisions concerning the use of tax proceeds to hire Commission staff; the selection process for Commission superintendents, delegates, and alternates; mergers between existing county Veterans Assistance Commissions and jurisdictional Veterans Assistance Commissions; and other matters.

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