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92_HB1033eng HB1033 Engrossed LRB9206034MWmb 1 AN ACT concerning Gulf War Veterans. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Department of Veterans Affairs Act is 5 amended by changing Section 2 as follows: 6 (20 ILCS 2805/2) (from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 67) 7 Sec. 2. Powers and duties. The Department shall have 8 the following powers and duties: 9 To perform such acts at the request of any veteran, or 10 his or her spouse, surviving spouse or dependents as shall be 11 reasonably necessary or reasonably incident to obtaining or 12 endeavoring to obtain for the requester any advantage, 13 benefit or emolument accruing or due to such person under any 14 law of the United States, the State of Illinois or any other 15 state or governmental agency by reason of the service of such 16 veteran, and in pursuance thereof shall: 17 1. Contact veterans, their survivors and dependents 18 and advise them of the benefits of state and federal laws 19 and assist them in obtaining such benefits; 20 2. Establish field offices and direct the 21 activities of the personnel assigned to such offices; 22 3. Create a volunteer field force of accredited 23 representatives, representing educational institutions, 24 labor organizations, veterans organizations, employers, 25 churches, and farm organizations; 26 4. Conduct informational and training services; 27 5. Conduct educational programs through newspapers, 28 periodicals and radio for the specific purpose of 29 disseminating information affecting veterans and their 30 dependents; 31 6. Coordinate the services and activities of all HB1033 Engrossed -2- LRB9206034MWmb 1 state departments having services and resources affecting 2 veterans and their dependents; 3 7. Encourage and assist in the coordination of 4 agencies within counties giving service to veterans and 5 their dependents; 6 8. Cooperate with veterans organizations and other 7 governmental agencies; 8 9. Make, alter, amend and promulgate reasonable 9 rules and procedures for the administration of this Act; 10 and 11 10. Make and publish annual reports to the Governor 12 regarding the administration and general operation of the 13 Department. 14 11. Encourage the State to implement more programs 15 to address the wide range of issues faced by Persian Gulf 16 War Veterans, especially those who took part in combat, 17 by creating an official commission to further study 18 Persian Gulf War Diseases. The commission shall consist 19 of 9 members appointed as follows: the Speaker and 20 Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and the 21 President and Minority Leader of the Senate shall each 22 appoint one member from the General Assembly, the 23 Governor shall appoint 4 members to represent veterans' 24 organizations, and the Department shall appoint one 25 member. The commission members shall serve without 26 compensation. 27 12. Make grants, from moneys appropriated from the 28 Gulf War Memorial Fund, to private organizations for the 29 costs of erecting a Gulf War Memorial in Illinois. 30 The Department may accept and hold on behalf of the 31 State, if for the public interest, a grant, gift, devise or 32 bequest of money or property to the Department made for the 33 general benefit of Illinois veterans, including the conduct 34 of informational and training services by the Department and HB1033 Engrossed -3- LRB9206034MWmb 1 other authorized purposes of the Department. The Department 2 shall cause each grant, gift, devise or bequest to be kept as 3 a distinct fund and shall invest such funds in the manner 4 provided by the Public Funds Investment Act, as now or 5 hereafter amended, and shall make such reports as may be 6 required by the Comptroller concerning what funds are so held 7 and the manner in which such funds are invested. The 8 Department may make grants from these funds for the general 9 benefit of Illinois veterans. Grants from these funds, 10 except for the funds established under Sections 2.01a and 11 2.03, shall be subject to appropriation. 12 (Source: P.A. 90-142, eff. 1-1-98; 90-168, eff. 7-23-97; 13 90-655, eff. 7-30-98.) 14 Section 10. The State Finance Act is amended by adding 15 Section 5.545 as follows: 16 (30 ILCS 105/5.545 new) 17 Sec. 5.545. The Gulf War Memorial Fund. 18 Section 15. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by 19 changing Section 3-412 and adding Section 3-648 as follows: 20 (625 ILCS 5/3-412) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-412) 21 Sec. 3-412. Registration plates and registration 22 stickers to be furnished by the Secretary of State. 23 (a) The Secretary of State upon registering a vehicle 24 subject to annual registration for the first time shall 25 issue or shall cause to be issued to the owner one 26 registration plate for a motorcycle, trailer, semitrailer, 27 motorized pedalcycle or truck-tractor, 2 registration plates 28 for other motor vehicles and, where applicable, current 29 registration stickers for motor vehicles of the first 30 division. The provisions of this Section may be made HB1033 Engrossed -4- LRB9206034MWmb 1 applicable to such vehicles of the second division, as the 2 Secretary of State may, from time to time, in his discretion 3 designate. On subsequent annual registrations during the term 4 of the registration plate as provided in Section 3-414.1, the 5 Secretary shall issue or cause to be issued registration 6 stickers as evidence of current registration. However, the 7 issuance of annual registration stickers to vehicles 8 registered under the provisions of Section 3-402.1 of this 9 Code may not be required if the Secretary deems the issuance 10 unnecessary. 11 (b) Every registration plate shall have displayed upon 12 it the registration number assigned to the vehicle for which 13 it is issued, the name of this State, which may be 14 abbreviated, the year number for which it was issued, which 15 may be abbreviated, the phrase "Land of Lincoln", except as 16 provided in Sections 3-626, 3-629, 3-633, 3-634, 3-637, 17 3-638,and3-642, and 3-648, and such other letters or 18 numbers as the Secretary may prescribe. However, for 19 apportionment plates issued to vehicles registered under 20 Section 3-402.1, the phrase "Land of Lincoln" may be omitted 21 to allow for the word "apportioned" to be displayed. The 22 Secretary may in his discretion prescribe that letters be 23 used as prefixes only on registration plates issued to 24 vehicles of the first division which are registered under 25 this Code and only as suffixes on registration plates issued 26 to other vehicles. Every registration sticker issued as 27 evidence of current registration shall designate the year 28 number for which it is issued and such other letters or 29 numbers as the Secretary may prescribe and shall be of a 30 contrasting color with the registration plates and 31 registration stickers of the previous year. 32 (c) Each registration plate and the required letters and 33 numerals thereon, except the year number for which issued, 34 shall be of sufficient size to be plainly readable from a HB1033 Engrossed -5- LRB9206034MWmb 1 distance of 100 feet during daylight, and shall be coated 2 with reflectorizing material. The dimensions of the plate 3 issued to vehicles of the first division shall be 6 by 12 4 inches. 5 (d) The Secretary of State shall issue for every 6 passenger motor vehicle rented without a driver the same type 7 of registration plates as the type of plates issued for a 8 private passenger vehicle. 9 (e) The Secretary of State shall issue for every 10 passenger car used as a taxicab or livery, distinctive 11 registration plates. 12 (f) The Secretary of State shall issue for every 13 motorcycle distinctive registration plates distinguishing 14 between motorcycles having 150 or more cubic centimeters 15 piston displacement, or having less than 150 cubic centimeter 16 piston displacement. 17 (g) Registration plates issued to vehicles for-hire may 18 display a designation as determined by the Secretary that 19 such vehicles are for-hire. 20 (h) The Secretary of State shall issue for each electric 21 vehicle distinctive registration plates which shall 22 distinguish between electric vehicles having a maximum 23 operating speed of 45 miles per hour or more and those having 24 a maximum operating speed of less than 45 miles per hour. 25 (i) The Secretary of State shall issue for every public 26 and private ambulance registration plates identifying the 27 vehicle as an ambulance. The Secretary shall forward to the 28 Department of Public Aid registration information for the 29 purpose of verification of claims filed with the Department 30 by ambulance owners for payment for services to public 31 assistance recipients. 32 (j) The Secretary of State shall issue for every public 33 and private medical carrier or rescue vehicle livery 34 registration plates displaying numbers within ranges of HB1033 Engrossed -6- LRB9206034MWmb 1 numbers reserved respectively for medical carriers and rescue 2 vehicles. The Secretary shall forward to the Department of 3 Public Aid registration information for the purpose of 4 verification of claims filed with the Department by owners of 5 medical carriers or rescue vehicles for payment for services 6 to public assistance recipients. 7 (Source: P.A. 89-424, eff. 6-1-96; 89-564, eff. 7-1-97; 8 89-612, eff. 8-9-96; 89-621, eff. 1-1-97; 89-639, eff. 9 1-1-97; 90-14, eff. 7-1-97; 90-533, eff. 11-14-97; 90-655, 10 eff. 7-30-98.) 11 (625 ILCS 5/3-648 new) 12 Sec. 3-648. Gulf War Veteran license plate. 13 (a) In addition to any other special license plate, the 14 Secretary of State, upon receipt of all applicable fees and 15 applications made in the form prescribed by the Secretary, 16 may issue special registration plates designated as Gulf War 17 Veteran license plates to residents of Illinois who 18 participated in the Persian Gulf Conflict between the dates 19 recognized by the United States Department of Veterans' 20 Affairs. The special plate issued under this Section must be 21 affixed only to passenger vehicles of the first division, 22 motor vehicles of the second division, and recreational 23 vehicles as defined in Section 1-169 of this Code. Plates 24 issued under this Section shall expire according to the 25 staggered multi-year procedure established by Section 3-414.1 26 of this Code. 27 (b) The design, color, and format of the plates shall be 28 wholly within the discretion of the Secretary of State. The 29 Secretary may, in his or her discretion, allow the plates to 30 be issued as vanity plates or personalized in accordance with 31 Section 3-405.1 of this Code. The plates are not required to 32 designate "Land of Lincoln", as prescribed in subsection (b) 33 of Section 3-412 of this Code. The Secretary shall prescribe HB1033 Engrossed -7- LRB9206034MWmb 1 the eligibility requirements and, in his or her discretion, 2 shall approve and prescribe stickers or decals as provided 3 under Section 3-412. 4 (c) An applicant must be charged a $15 fee for original 5 issuance in addition to the applicable registration fee. Of 6 the additional fee, $13 must be deposited into the Secretary 7 of State Special License Plate Fund and $2 must be deposited 8 into the Gulf War Memorial Fund. For each registration 9 renewal period, a $2 fee, in addition to the appropriate 10 registration fee, must be charged and must be deposited into 11 the Secretary of State Special Licenses Plate Fund. 12 (d) The Gulf War Memorial Fund is created as a special 13 fund in the State treasury. Moneys in the Fund may, subject 14 to appropriation, be used by the Department of Veterans' 15 Affairs to provide grants for the construction of the Gulf 16 War Memorial. Upon the completion of the Memorial, the 17 Department of Veterans' Affairs must certify to the State 18 Treasurer that the construction of the Memorial has been 19 completed. Upon the certification of the Department of 20 Veterans' Affairs, the State Treasurer must transfer all 21 moneys in the Fund into the Secretary of State Special 22 License Plate Fund.