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1 | AN ACT concerning State government.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Department of Veterans' Affairs Act is | ||||||
5 | amended by changing Section 38 as follows: | ||||||
6 | (20 ILCS 2805/38) | ||||||
7 | (Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2021) | ||||||
8 | Sec. 38. Veterans' Service-Related Ailments Task Force. | ||||||
9 | (a) The Veterans' Service-Related Ailments Task Force is | ||||||
10 | created. The Task Force shall review and make recommendations | ||||||
11 | regarding veterans' service-related ailments that are not | ||||||
12 | recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, | ||||||
13 | including exploring why certain service-related ailments are | ||||||
14 | not recognized and determining what may be done to have them | ||||||
15 | recognized. | ||||||
16 | Additionally, the Task Force shall assess ways the State | ||||||
17 | of Illinois can improve the rate at which disability | ||||||
18 | compensation claims are approved by the federal government and | ||||||
19 | correct the disparity between the U.S. Department of Veterans | ||||||
20 | Affairs' approval of disability compensation for Illinois | ||||||
21 | veterans and that which is approved for veterans in other | ||||||
22 | states. | ||||||
23 | (b) The Task Force shall have 15 members, comprised as |
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1 | follows: | ||||||
2 | (1) The Director of Veterans' Affairs or the | ||||||
3 | Director's designee , who shall serve as chairperson . | ||||||
4 | (2) 2 Members from the House of Representatives, | ||||||
5 | appointed one each by the Speaker of the House and the | ||||||
6 | House Minority Leader. | ||||||
7 | (3) 2 Members of the Senate, appointed one each by the | ||||||
8 | President of the Senate and the Senate Minority Leader. | ||||||
9 | (4) One veteran, appointed by the Director of | ||||||
10 | Veterans' Affairs. | ||||||
11 | (5) One medical professional with experience working | ||||||
12 | with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, appointed by | ||||||
13 | the Director of Veterans' Affairs. | ||||||
14 | (6) 4 representatives from a variety of veterans | ||||||
15 | organizations representing geographic diversity in the | ||||||
16 | State, appointed by the Director of Veterans' Affairs. | ||||||
17 | (7) 4 members, one of whom shall be appointed by the | ||||||
18 | chair of the Veterans' Affairs Committee of the House of | ||||||
19 | Representatives, one of whom shall be appointed by the | ||||||
20 | minority spokesperson of the Veterans' Affairs Committee | ||||||
21 | of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be | ||||||
22 | appointed by the chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee | ||||||
23 | of the Senate, and one of whom shall be appointed by the | ||||||
24 | minority spokesperson of the Veterans Affairs Committee of | ||||||
25 | the Senate. Those appointed to the Task Force under this | ||||||
26 | paragraph shall be members of different Illinois counties' |
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1 | Veterans Assistance Commissions, Veteran Service Officers, | ||||||
2 | and VITAS officials. | ||||||
3 | Task Force members shall serve without compensation but
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4 | may be reimbursed for their expenses incurred in performing | ||||||
5 | their duties. | ||||||
6 | (c) The Task Force shall meet at least once every 2 months | ||||||
7 | beginning on or before January 1, 2022 July 1, 2019 , and at | ||||||
8 | other times as determined by the Task Force. Task Force
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9 | members shall select from among themselves a chairperson or
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10 | co-chairpersons at the initial Task Force meeting. | ||||||
11 | (d) The Department of Veterans' Affairs shall provide | ||||||
12 | administrative and other support to the Task Force. | ||||||
13 | (e) The Task Force shall prepare a report that summarizes | ||||||
14 | its work and makes recommendations resulting from its study. | ||||||
15 | The Task Force shall submit the report of its findings and | ||||||
16 | recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on or | ||||||
17 | before June 1, 2023 by December 31, 2020 . The Task Force is | ||||||
18 | dissolved, and this Section is repealed, on December 31, 2023 | ||||||
19 | 2021 .
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20 | (Source: P.A. 101-225, eff. 8-9-19.)
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21 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
22 | becoming law. |