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| [ Introduced ] | [ Engrossed ] | [ Senate Amendment 001 ] |
90_HB2643enr
330 ILCS 110/1.1 from Ch. 21, par. 59a1
Amends the Veterans Burial Places Act. Increases the
amount the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall pay for the
cost of transporting and erecting a headstone or memorial for
a United States war veteran when the headstone or memorial is
required to be provided by the United States Government from
an amount not to exceed $50 to an amount not to exceed $100.
Changes a reference to a Section of the United States Code to
reflect its renumbering. Effective immediately.
LRB9008547SMdvA
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1 AN ACT regarding veterans.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The State Commemorative Dates Act is amended
5 by adding Sections 100 and 105 as follows:
6 (5 ILCS 490/100 new)
7 Sec. 100. Korean War Armistice Day. The 27th day of July
8 of each year is designated Korean War Armistice Day to be
9 observed throughout the State as a day to honor and remember
10 the men and women of this State who served so valiantly in
11 the cause of freedom.
12 (5 ILCS 490/105 new)
13 Sec. 105. POW/MIA Recognition Day. The third Friday of
14 September in each year is designated as POW/MIA Recognition
15 Day to be observed throughout the State as a day in honor and
16 remembrance of the men and women of this State who were
17 recognized as POWs or MIAs while serving with the armed
18 forces of the United States in a time of war or during a
19 period of hostilities.
20 Section 10. The Department of Veterans Affairs Act is
21 amended by changing Section 2.01a and adding Section 10 as
22 follows:
23 (20 ILCS 2805/2.01a) (from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 67.01a)
24 Sec. 2.01a. Members benefit fund; personal property. The
25 Department shall direct the expenditure of all money which
26 has been or may be received by any officer of an Illinois
27 Veterans Home including profit on sales from commissary
28 stores. The money shall be deposited into the members benefit
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1 fund and expenditures from the fund shall be made under the
2 direction of the Department for the special comfort,
3 pleasure, and amusement of residents and employees, provided
4 that amounts expended for comfort, pleasure, and amusement of
5 employees shall not exceed the amount of profits derived from
6 sales made to employees by such commissaries, as determined
7 by the Department.
8 Money received as interest and income on funds deposited
9 for residents of an Illinois Veterans Home operated by the
10 Department of Veterans' Affairs shall be placed in the
11 members benefit fund and expenditures from the fund may not
12 be used to supplement a shortfall in the ordinary and
13 contingent operating expenses of the Home and shall be
14 expended only for the special comfort, pleasure, and
15 amusement of the residents. If home residents choose to hold
16 savings accounts or other investments outside the Home,
17 interest or income on the individual savings accounts or
18 investments of residents shall not be so expended, but shall
19 accrue to the individual accounts of the residents.
20 Any money belonging to residents separated by death,
21 discharge, or unauthorized absence from an Illinois Veterans
22 Home, in custody of officers thereof, may, if unclaimed by
23 the resident or the legal representatives thereof for a
24 period of 2 years, be expended at the direction of the
25 Department for the purposes and in the manner specified
26 above. Articles of personal property, with the exception of
27 clothing left in the custody of officers, shall, if unclaimed
28 for the period of 2 years, be sold and the money disposed of
29 in the same manner.
30 Clothing left at a Home by residents at the time of
31 separation may be used as determined by the Home if unclaimed
32 by the resident or legal representatives thereof within 30
33 days after notification.
34 (Source: P.A. 89-324, eff. 8-13-95; 90-168, eff. 7-23-97.)
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1 (20 ILCS 2805/10 new)
2 Sec. 10. Long term care bed space study. The Department
3 of Veterans Affairs shall study the feasibility of the State
4 of Illinois using existing United States Department of
5 Veterans Affairs long-term care bed space to meet the future
6 long-term care needs of the State's veterans. The Department
7 shall issue a final report to the Governor and General
8 Assembly by July 1, 1999.
9 Section 15. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act
10 is amended by changing Section 40 as follows:
11 (110 ILCS 947/40)
12 Sec. 40. Veteran grant. Any person who served in the
13 armed forces of the United States, not including members of
14 the Student Army Training Corps, who at the time of entering
15 service was an Illinois resident or was an Illinois resident
16 within 6 months of entering such service, and who returned to
17 Illinois within 6 months after leaving service or, if married
18 to a person in continued military service stationed outside
19 Illinois, within 6 months after his or her spouse has left
20 service or has been stationed within Illinois, and who has
21 been honorably discharged from such service, and who
22 possesses all necessary entrance requirements shall, except
23 as otherwise provided in this Act, upon application and
24 proper proof, be awarded an Illinois Veteran Grant consisting
25 of the equivalent of 4 calendar years of full-time
26 enrollment, including summer terms, to the State-controlled
27 college or university or community college of his choice.
28 Such veterans shall also be entitled, upon proper proof and
29 application, to enroll in any extension course offered by a
30 State-controlled college or university or community college
31 without the payment of tuition or fees.
32 Any veteran who so served, and who, at the time of
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1 entering such service, was a student at a State-controlled
2 college or university or community college, and who was
3 honorably discharged from such service, shall, upon
4 application and proper proof be awarded a Veteran Grant
5 entitling him to complete his course of study at any
6 State-controlled college or university or community college
7 of his choice, but shall not be entitled to a grant
8 consisting of more than the equivalent of 4 calendar years of
9 full-time enrollment including summer sessions.
10 Any member of the armed forces of the United States who
11 either (i) has served in such armed forces at least one year,
12 or (ii) has served in whose service with the armed forces of
13 the United States is for less than one year in a time of
14 hostilities in a foreign country but includes active military
15 duty, including service in the Persian Gulf War or in
16 military operations to aid Somalia, with the armed forces of
17 the United States, and who would be qualified for a grant
18 under this Section if he had been discharged from such
19 service shall be eligible to receive a Veteran Grant under
20 this Section.
21 The holder of a Veteran Grant to the State-controlled
22 college or university or community college of his choice as
23 authorized under this Section shall not be required to pay
24 any matriculation or application fees, tuition, activities
25 fees, graduation fees, or other fees except multipurpose
26 building fees or similar fees for supplies and materials.
27 Any veteran who has been or shall be awarded a Veteran
28 Grant shall be reimbursed by the appropriate college,
29 university, or community college for any fees which he has
30 paid and for which exemption is granted under this Section,
31 if application for reimbursement is made within 3 months
32 following the school term for which the fees were paid.
33 A Veteran Grant shall be considered an entitlement which
34 the State-controlled college or university or community
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1 college in which the holder is enrolled shall honor without
2 any condition other than the holder's maintenance of minimum
3 grade levels and a satisfactory student loan repayment record
4 pursuant to subsection (c) of Section 20.
5 A grant authorized under this Section shall not be
6 awarded to veterans who received a discharge from the armed
7 forces of the United States under dishonorable conditions, or
8 to any veteran whose service with the armed forces was for
9 less than one year unless he received an honorable discharge
10 from such service for medical reasons directly connected with
11 such service, except for those veterans discharged prior to
12 August 11, 1967 whose service may be for less than one year,
13 and except for those veterans (i) who serve in whose service
14 with the armed forces of the United States is for less than
15 one year in a time of hostilities in a foreign country but
16 includes active military duty, including service in the
17 Persian Gulf War or in military operations to aid Somalia,
18 with the armed forces of the United States, and (ii) who
19 receive an honorable discharge.
20 The amounts that become due to any State-controlled
21 college or university or community college shall be payable
22 by the Comptroller to that institution on vouchers approved
23 by the Commission. The Commission, or its designated
24 representative at that institution, shall determine the
25 eligibility of the persons who make application for the
26 benefits provided for in this Section. The Department of
27 Veterans' Affairs shall assist the Commission in determining
28 the eligibility of applicants. On July 29, 1986, the
29 Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs shall transfer and
30 deliver to the Commission all books, records, papers,
31 documents, applications and pending business in any way
32 pertaining to the duties, responsibilities and authority
33 theretofore exercised or performed by the Illinois Department
34 of Veterans' Affairs under and pursuant to Section 4.1 of the
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1 Department of Veterans Affairs Act.
2 The benefits provided for in this Section shall be
3 available as long as the federal government provides
4 educational benefits to veterans. No benefits shall be paid
5 under this Section, except for veterans who already have
6 begun their education under this Section, after 6 months
7 following the termination of educational benefits to veterans
8 by the federal government. If the federal government
9 terminates educational benefits to veterans and at a later
10 time resumes those benefits, the benefits of this Section
11 shall resume.
12 As used in this Section, "time of hostilities in a
13 foreign country" means any action by the armed forces of the
14 United States that is recognized by the issuance of a
15 Presidential proclamation or a Presidential executive order
16 and in which the armed forces expeditionary medal or other
17 campaign service medals are awarded according to Presidential
18 executive order.
19 (Source: P.A. 87-895; 87-997; 88-179.)
20 Section 20. The Veterans Burial Places Act is amended by
21 changing Section 1.1 as follows:
22 (330 ILCS 110/1.1) (from Ch. 21, par. 59a1)
23 Sec. 1.1. When a headstone or memorial marker is
24 provided for a United States War Veteran by the United States
25 Government pursuant to Section 2306 906 of Title 38 of the
26 United States Code, the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall
27 pay an amount not to exceed $100 $50 to the next of kin or
28 cemetery official or monument company official responsible
29 for the cost of transporting and erecting the headstone or
30 memorial. However, no such payment shall be made unless a
31 signed application is presented to the Department by the next
32 of kin or cemetery official or monument company official,
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1 along with such other proof of transportation or erection
2 charges as the Department may require. All such applications
3 for payment shall be on forms provided by the Department.
4 (Source: P.A. 85-169.)
5 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
6 becoming law.