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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 2 as follows:
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6 | (20 ILCS 2805/2) (from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 67)
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7 | Sec. 2. Powers and duties. The Department shall have the | ||||||
8 | following
powers and duties:
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9 | To perform such acts at the request of any veteran, or his | ||||||
10 | or her spouse,
surviving spouse or dependents as shall be | ||||||
11 | reasonably necessary
or reasonably incident to obtaining or | ||||||
12 | endeavoring to obtain for the requester
any advantage, benefit | ||||||
13 | or emolument accruing or due to such person under
any law of | ||||||
14 | the United States, the State of Illinois or any other state or
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15 | governmental agency by reason of the service of such veteran, | ||||||
16 | and in pursuance
thereof shall:
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17 | (1)
1. Contact veterans, their survivors and | ||||||
18 | dependents and advise them of
the benefits of state and | ||||||
19 | federal laws and assist them in obtaining such
benefits;
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20 | (2)
2. Establish field offices and direct the | ||||||
21 | activities of the personnel
assigned to such offices;
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22 | (3)
3. Create a volunteer field force of accredited | ||||||
23 | representatives,
representing educational institutions, | ||||||
24 | labor organizations, veterans
organizations, employers, | ||||||
25 | churches, and farm organizations;
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26 | (4)
4. Conduct informational and training services;
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27 | (5)
5. Conduct educational programs through | ||||||
28 | newspapers, periodicals and radio
for the specific purpose | ||||||
29 | of disseminating information affecting veterans
and their | ||||||
30 | dependents;
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31 | (6)
6. Coordinate the services and activities of all | ||||||
32 | state departments having
services and resources affecting |
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1 | veterans and their dependents;
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2 | (7)
7. Encourage and assist in the coordination of | ||||||
3 | agencies within counties
giving service to veterans and | ||||||
4 | their dependents;
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5 | (8)
8. Cooperate with veterans organizations and other | ||||||
6 | governmental agencies;
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7 | (9)
9. Make, alter, amend and promulgate reasonable | ||||||
8 | rules and procedures for
the administration of this Act;
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9 | (10)
10. Make and publish annual reports to the | ||||||
10 | Governor regarding the
administration and general | ||||||
11 | operation of the Department; and
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12 | (11)
11. Encourage the State to implement more programs | ||||||
13 | to address the wide
range of issues faced by Persian Gulf | ||||||
14 | War Veterans, especially those who took
part in combat, by | ||||||
15 | creating an official commission to further study Persian
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16 | Gulf War Diseases.
The commission shall consist of 9 | ||||||
17 | members appointed as follows: the Speaker
and Minority | ||||||
18 | Leader of the House of Representatives and the President | ||||||
19 | and
Minority Leader of the Senate shall each appoint one | ||||||
20 | member from the General
Assembly, the
Governor shall | ||||||
21 | appoint 4 members to represent veterans' organizations, | ||||||
22 | and the
Department shall appoint one member. The commission | ||||||
23 | members shall serve
without compensation ; and
. | ||||||
24 | (12) Conduct an annual review of the benefits received
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25 | by Illinois veterans that compares benefits received by | ||||||
26 | Illinois
veterans with the benefits received by veterans in | ||||||
27 | all other
states and U.S. territories. The required annual | ||||||
28 | review shall include,
but not be limited to, (1) the | ||||||
29 | average benefit paid to individual
veterans from Illinois, | ||||||
30 | in direct comparison to the average benefit
paid to | ||||||
31 | individual veterans of each of the other states and U.S.
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32 | territories; (2) the number of veterans receiving benefits | ||||||
33 | in Illinois
for the first time during the year compared to | ||||||
34 | the number of claims
filed by Illinois veterans during the | ||||||
35 | year; (3) the aggregate number
of Illinois veterans | ||||||
36 | receiving benefits compared to the number
of veterans from |
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1 | each of the other states and U.S. territories
receiving | ||||||
2 | benefits; and (4) a categorical analysis of the types
of | ||||||
3 | injuries and disabilities for which benefits are being paid
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4 | in Illinois and each of the other states and U.S. | ||||||
5 | territories.
The benefits review shall be reported to the | ||||||
6 | Governor, the
General Assembly, and the Illinois | ||||||
7 | Congressional delegation upon
the completion of the report | ||||||
8 | each year.
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9 | The Department may accept and hold on behalf of the State, | ||||||
10 | if for the
public interest, a grant, gift, devise or bequest of | ||||||
11 | money or property to
the Department made for the general | ||||||
12 | benefit of Illinois veterans,
including the conduct of | ||||||
13 | informational and training services by the Department
and other | ||||||
14 | authorized purposes of the Department. The Department shall | ||||||
15 | cause
each grant, gift, devise or bequest to be kept as a | ||||||
16 | distinct fund and shall
invest such funds in the manner | ||||||
17 | provided by the Public Funds Investment Act, as
now or | ||||||
18 | hereafter amended, and shall make such reports as may
be | ||||||
19 | required by the Comptroller concerning what funds are so held | ||||||
20 | and
the manner in which such funds are invested.
The Department | ||||||
21 | may make grants from these funds for the general benefit of
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22 | Illinois veterans. Grants from these funds, except for the | ||||||
23 | funds established
under Sections 2.01a and 2.03, shall be | ||||||
24 | subject to appropriation.
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25 | The Department has the power to make grants, from funds | ||||||
26 | appropriated from
the
Korean War Veterans National Museum and | ||||||
27 | Library Fund, to private organizations
for the benefit of the | ||||||
28 | Korean War Veterans National Museum and Library.
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29 | The Department has the power to make grants, from funds | ||||||
30 | appropriated from the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund, for | ||||||
31 | benefits authorized under the Survivors Compensation Act.
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32 | (Source: P.A. 92-198, eff. 8-1-01; 92-651, eff. 7-11-02; | ||||||
33 | 93-839, eff. 7-30-04.)
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34 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January | ||||||
35 | 1, 2006.
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