State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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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.
                                                     LRB9000702PTcw
HB0028 Engrossed                               LRB9000702PTcw
 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;
HB0028 Engrossed            -2-                LRB9000702PTcw
 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
HB0028 Engrossed            -3-                LRB9000702PTcw
 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.)

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