|
|
|
09600HB3970sam001 |
- 2 - |
LRB096 10314 DRJ 25964 a |
|
|
| 1 |
| (2) It is chartered by the United States Congress and |
| 2 |
| incorporated in the
State of Illinois.
|
| 3 |
| (3) It maintained a state headquarters office in |
| 4 |
| Illinois for the 10-year period immediately preceding July |
| 5 |
| 1, 2006.
|
| 6 |
| (4) It maintains at least one office in this State |
| 7 |
| staffed by a veterans
service officer.
|
| 8 |
| (5) It is capable of preparing a power of attorney for |
| 9 |
| a veteran and processing claims for veterans services.
|
| 10 |
| (6) It is not funded by the State of Illinois or by any |
| 11 |
| county in this State.
|
| 12 |
| "Veterans services" means the representation of veterans |
| 13 |
| in federal hearings to secure benefits for veterans and their |
| 14 |
| spouses and beneficiaries:
|
| 15 |
| (1) Disability compensation benefits.
|
| 16 |
| (2) Disability pension benefits.
|
| 17 |
| (3) Dependents' indemnity compensation.
|
| 18 |
| (4) Widow's death pension.
|
| 19 |
| (5) Burial benefits.
|
| 20 |
| (6) Confirmed and continued claims.
|
| 21 |
| (7) Vocational rehabilitation and education.
|
| 22 |
| (8) Waivers of indebtedness.
|
| 23 |
| (9) Miscellaneous.
|
| 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 |
|
|
|
09600HB3970sam001 |
- 3 - |
LRB096 10314 DRJ 25964 a |
|
|
| 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
|
| 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
|
| 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
|
| 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.
|
| 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
|
| 26 |
| stating the amount of new moneys obtained by the organization |
|
|
|
09600HB3970sam001 |
- 4 - |
LRB096 10314 DRJ 25964 a |
|
|
| 1 |
| for veterans and
their spouses
and beneficiaries in the quarter |
| 2 |
| State fiscal year for which payment under this
Section is
|
| 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
|
| 7 |
| payment is requested.
|
| 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.
|
| 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
|
| 24 |
| the officer or officers for the processing of claims and other
|
| 25 |
| benefits for
veterans and their spouses and beneficiaries.
|
| 26 |
| (Source: P.A. 95-629, eff. 9-25-07; 95-876, eff. 8-21-08.)".
|