Sen. Dan Kotowski
Filed: 4/30/2009
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1 | AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 3970
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2 | AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 3970 on page 1, line | ||||||
3 | 5, by replacing "Section 2.07" with "Sections 2.07 and 25"; and
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4 | on page 2, after line 9, by inserting the following: | ||||||
5 | "(20 ILCS 2805/25)
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6 | Sec. 25. Payments to veterans service organizations. | ||||||
7 | (a) In this Section:
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8 | "Veterans service officer" means an individual employed by | ||||||
9 | a veterans service
organization and accredited by the United | ||||||
10 | States Department of Veterans Affairs
to
process claims and | ||||||
11 | other benefits for veterans and their spouses
and
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12 | beneficiaries.
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13 | "Veterans service organization" means an organization that | ||||||
14 | meets all of the
following criteria:
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15 | (1) It is formed by and for United States military | ||||||
16 | veterans.
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1 | (2) It is chartered by the United States Congress and | ||||||
2 | incorporated in the
State of Illinois.
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3 | (3) It maintained a state headquarters office in | ||||||
4 | Illinois for the 10-year period immediately preceding July | ||||||
5 | 1, 2006.
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6 | (4) It maintains at least one office in this State | ||||||
7 | staffed by a veterans
service officer.
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8 | (5) It is capable of preparing a power of attorney for | ||||||
9 | a veteran and processing claims for veterans services.
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10 | (6) It is not funded by the State of Illinois or by any | ||||||
11 | county in this State.
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12 | "Veterans services" means the representation of veterans | ||||||
13 | in federal hearings to secure benefits for veterans and their | ||||||
14 | spouses and beneficiaries:
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15 | (1) Disability compensation benefits.
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16 | (2) Disability pension benefits.
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17 | (3) Dependents' indemnity compensation.
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18 | (4) Widow's death pension.
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19 | (5) Burial benefits.
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20 | (6) Confirmed and continued claims.
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21 | (7) Vocational rehabilitation and education.
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22 | (8) Waivers of indebtedness.
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23 | (9) Miscellaneous.
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24 | (b) The Veterans Service Organization Reimbursement Fund | ||||||
25 | is created as a special fund in the State treasury. Subject to | ||||||
26 | appropriation, the Department shall use moneys appropriated |
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1 | from the Fund to make payments to a veterans service | ||||||
2 | organization for
veterans
services rendered on behalf of | ||||||
3 | veterans and their spouses and beneficiaries by
a veterans
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4 | service officer employed by the organization. The payment shall | ||||||
5 | be
computed at
the rate of $0.010 for each dollar of benefits | ||||||
6 | obtained for veterans or their
spouses or
beneficiaries | ||||||
7 | residing in Illinois as a result of the efforts of the veterans
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8 | service officer.
There shall be no payment under this Section | ||||||
9 | for the value of health care
received
in a health care facility | ||||||
10 | under the jurisdiction of the United States Veterans
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11 | Administration. No more than 10% of the moneys in the fund may | ||||||
12 | be used by the Department for administrative purposes. A | ||||||
13 | veterans service organization may receive compensation under | ||||||
14 | this Fund or it may apply for grants from the Illinois Veterans | ||||||
15 | Assistance Fund, but in no event may a veterans service | ||||||
16 | organization receive moneys from both funds during the same | ||||||
17 | fiscal year. Funding for each applicant is subject to renewal | ||||||
18 | by the Department on an annual basis.
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19 | (c) To be eligible for a payment under this Section, a | ||||||
20 | veterans service
organization must document the amount of new | ||||||
21 | moneys obtained for veterans and their
spouses and | ||||||
22 | beneficiaries in the form and manner required by the | ||||||
23 | Department.
The
documentation must include the submission to | ||||||
24 | the Department of a copy of the
organization's report or | ||||||
25 | reports to the United States Department of Veterans
Affairs
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26 | stating the amount of new moneys obtained by the organization |
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1 | for veterans and
their spouses
and beneficiaries in the quarter | ||||||
2 | State fiscal year for which payment under this
Section is
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3 | requested. The organization must submit the copy of the report | ||||||
4 | or reports , and any other documentation required by the | ||||||
5 | Department, to
the
Department no later than 15 days July 31 | ||||||
6 | following the end of the quarter State fiscal year for
which
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7 | payment is requested.
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8 | (d) In addition to the requirement of subsection (b) that | ||||||
9 | the Department use moneys appropriated from the Veterans | ||||||
10 | Service Organization Reimbursement Fund for payments, the | ||||||
11 | Department may transfer up to $1,000,000 of those appropriated | ||||||
12 | moneys into the Illinois Veterans Assistance Fund for the | ||||||
13 | making of grants to veterans service organizations as described | ||||||
14 | in subsection (b). The Department shall make the payment under | ||||||
15 | this Section to a
veterans
service organization in a single | ||||||
16 | annual payment for each State fiscal year,
beginning with
the | ||||||
17 | State fiscal year that begins on July 1, 2007. The Department | ||||||
18 | must make the
payment
for a State fiscal year on or before | ||||||
19 | December 31 of the succeeding State fiscal
year.
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20 | (e) A veterans service organization shall use moneys | ||||||
21 | received
under this Section only for the purpose of paying the | ||||||
22 | salary and expenses of
one or more
veterans service officers | ||||||
23 | and the organization's related expenses incurred in
employing
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24 | the officer or officers for the processing of claims and other
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25 | benefits for
veterans and their spouses and beneficiaries.
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26 | (Source: P.A. 95-629, eff. 9-25-07; 95-876, eff. 8-21-08.)".
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