August 14, 2009

To the Honorable Members of the Illinois House of Representatives,

96th General Assembly:

Today, I return House Bill 745 with my specific recommendation for change.  I thank the sponsors for their hard work and the members of the General Assembly for passing this bill.  However, there is an aspect of this bill that I must address.

House Bill 745 provides Illinois residents with greater flexibility in the location where they can apply for public aid and exempts residents who work from in-person meetings with a representative from the Department of Human Services regarding food stamps.  While I agree with the goal of this legislation, the timeline is too soon to allow for successful implementation to take place.   

Therefore, pursuant to Article IV, Section 9(e) of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return Senate Bill 1725, entitled “AN ACT concerning public aid.”, with the following specific recommendation for change:

on page 9, below line 15, by inserting the following:

            “Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect on January 1, 2011.”.

With this change, House Bill 745 will have my approval.  I respectfully request your concurrence. 

Sincerely,

PAT QUINN

Governor