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| Public Act 100-0496 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning State government.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Personnel Code is amended by changing | ||||
Section 8b.7 as follows:
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(20 ILCS 415/8b.7) (from Ch. 127, par. 63b108b.7)
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Sec. 8b.7. Veteran preference. For the granting of | ||||
appropriate
preference in entrance examinations to qualified | ||||
veterans, persons who have been members
of the armed forces of | ||||
the United States or to qualified persons who, while
citizens | ||||
of the United States, were members of the armed forces of | ||||
allies of
the United States in time of hostilities with a | ||||
foreign country, and to certain
other persons as set forth in | ||||
this Section.
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(a) As used in this Section:
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(1) "Time of hostilities with a foreign country" means | ||||
any period of
time in the past, present, or future during | ||||
which a declaration of war by
the United States Congress | ||||
has been or is in effect or during which an
emergency | ||||
condition has been or is in effect that is recognized by | ||||
the
issuance of a Presidential proclamation or a | ||||
Presidential executive order
and in which the armed forces | ||||
expeditionary medal or other campaign service
medals are | ||||
awarded according to Presidential executive order.
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(2) "Armed forces of the United States" means the | ||
United States Army,
Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and | ||
Coast Guard. Service in the Merchant
Marine that | ||
constitutes active duty under Section 401 of federal Public | ||
Law
95-202 shall also be considered service in the Armed | ||
Forces of the United
States for purposes of this Section.
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(3) "Veteran" means a member of the armed forces of the | ||
United States, the Illinois National Guard, or a reserve | ||
component of the armed forces of the United States. | ||
(b) The preference granted under this Section shall be in | ||
the form of points
added to the final grades of the persons if | ||
they otherwise qualify and are
entitled to appear on the list | ||
of those eligible for appointments.
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(c) A veteran is qualified for a preference of 10 points if | ||
the veteran
currently holds proof of a service connected | ||
disability from the United
States Department of Veterans | ||
Affairs or an allied country or if the
veteran is a recipient | ||
of the Purple Heart.
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(d) A veteran who has served during a time of hostilities | ||
with a foreign
country is qualified for a preference of 5 | ||
points if the veteran served
under one or more of the following | ||
conditions:
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(1) The veteran served a total of at least 6 months, or
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(2) The veteran served for the duration of hostilities | ||
regardless of
the length of engagement, or
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(3) The veteran was discharged on the basis of | ||
hardship, or
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(4) The veteran was released from active duty because | ||
of a service connected disability and was discharged under | ||
honorable conditions.
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(e) A person not eligible for a preference under subsection | ||
(c) or (d)
is qualified for a preference of 3 points if the | ||
person has served in the
armed forces of the United States, the | ||
Illinois National Guard, or any
reserve component of the armed | ||
forces of the United States if the person:
(1) served for at | ||
least 6 months and has been discharged under honorable
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conditions; or (2) has been discharged on the ground of | ||
hardship; or (3) was
released from active duty because of a | ||
service connected disability; or (4) served a minimum of 4 | ||
years in the Illinois National Guard or reserve component of | ||
the armed forces of the United States regardless of whether or | ||
not the person was mobilized to active duty. An
active member | ||
of the National Guard or a reserve component of the armed
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forces of the United States is eligible for the preference if | ||
the member
meets the service requirements of this subsection | ||
(e).
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(f) The rank order of persons entitled to a preference on | ||
eligible lists
shall be determined on the basis of their | ||
augmented ratings. When the
Director establishes eligible | ||
lists on the basis of category ratings such as
"superior", | ||
"excellent", "well-qualified", and "qualified", the veteran
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eligibles in each such category shall be preferred for | ||
appointment before the
non-veteran eligibles in the same | ||
category.
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(g) Employees in positions covered by jurisdiction B who, | ||
while in good
standing, leave to engage in military service | ||
during a period of hostility,
shall be given credit for | ||
seniority purposes for time served in the armed
forces.
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(h) A surviving unremarried spouse of a veteran who | ||
suffered a service
connected death or the spouse of a veteran | ||
who suffered a service connected
disability that prevents the | ||
veteran from qualifying for civil service
employment shall be | ||
entitled to the same preference to which the veteran
would have | ||
been entitled under this Section.
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(i) A preference shall also be given to the following | ||
individuals: 10
points for one parent of an unmarried veteran | ||
who suffered a service
connected death or a service connected | ||
disability that prevents the veteran
from qualifying for civil | ||
service employment. The first parent to receive a
civil service | ||
appointment shall be the parent entitled to the preference.
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(j) The Department of Central Management Services shall | ||
adopt rules and
implement procedures to verify that any person | ||
seeking a preference under this
Section is entitled to the | ||
preference. A person seeking a preference under
this Section | ||
shall provide documentation or execute any consents or other
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documents required by the Department of Central Management | ||
Services or any
other State department or agency to enable the | ||
department or agency to verify
that the person is entitled to | ||
the preference.
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(k) If an applicant claims to be a veteran, the Department | ||
of Central
Management Services must verify that status before | ||
granting a veteran
preference by requiring a certified copy of | ||
the applicant's most recent
DD214 (Certificate of Release or | ||
Discharge from Active Duty), NGB-22 (Proof of National Guard | ||
Service), or other evidence
of the applicant's most recent | ||
honorable discharge from the Armed Forces of the
United States | ||
that is determined to be acceptable by the Department of | ||
Central
Management Services.
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(Source: P.A. 90-655, eff. 7-30-98; 91-481, eff. 1-1-00.)
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law. | ||