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    AN ACT concerning veterans.

 
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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 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the War on 
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Terrorism Compensation Act.
 
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    Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
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    "Armed forces of the United States" means the United States 
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Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard, the United 
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States Reserve Forces, or the Illinois National Guard.  Service 
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in the merchant marine is not service in the armed forces for 
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purposes of this Act.
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    "Department" means the Illinois Department of Veterans' 
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Affairs.
 
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    Section 10. Compensation.  
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    (a) Subject to appropriation, every  person who has served 
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on active duty with the armed forces of the United States on or 
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after September 11, 2001 and prior to such time as Congress 
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declares such persons ineligible for the Global War on 
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Terrorism Expeditionary Medal or the Global War on Terrorism 
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Service Medal is entitled to receive compensation of $100 for 
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such service if (i) he or she had been a resident of the State 
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of Illinois for at least 12 months immediately preceding the 
 


 






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time he or she entered such service, (ii) he or she is still in 
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active service, is honorably separated or discharged from such 
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service, has been furloughed to a reserve, or has been retired, 
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and (iii) he or she has received the Global War on Terrorism 
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Expeditionary Medal or the Global War on Terrorism Service 
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Medal.
    
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    (b) No payment may be made under this Section to any person 
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who, though in such service: did civilian work at civilian pay; 
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did not serve at least 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive days 
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outside the United States or its territories; or has received 
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from another state a bonus or compensation of like nature as 
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provided by this Act.

 
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    Section 15. Assignment prohibited. No right or claim to 
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compensation under this Act may be assigned. 
 
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    Section 20. Legal disability. If a person to whom 
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compensation is payable under this Act is under a legal 
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disability, the compensation shall be paid to the person 
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legally vested with the care of the legally disabled person 
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under the laws of his or her state of residence. If no such 
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person has been so designated for the legally disabled person, 
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payment shall be made to the chief officer of any hospital or 
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institution under the supervision or control of any state or of 
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the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in which the 
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legally disabled person is placed, if that officer is 
 


 






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authorized to accept moneys for the benefit of the legally 
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disabled person. Any payments so made shall be held or used 
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solely for the benefit of the legally disabled person.
    
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    As used in this Section, a person under a legal disability 
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means a person found to be so by a court of competent 
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jurisdiction of any state or the District of Columbia or by any 
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adjudication officer of the United States Department of 
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Veterans Affairs.

 
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    Section 25. Application to Department of Veterans' 
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Affairs. An application for compensation under this Act must be 
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made to the Department.
 
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    Section 30. Rules. The Department shall adopt rules for 
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making payments under this Act, for ascertaining and selecting 
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proper beneficiaries and determining the amount to which those 
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beneficiaries are entitled, and for procedures necessary for 
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implementing this Act. 
 

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    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
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becoming law.