Sen. Miguel del Valle

Filed: 2/24/2005

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 40

2     AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 40 by replacing
3 everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4     "Section 5. The Department of Veterans Affairs Act is
5 amended by changing Section 2 as follows:
 
6     (20 ILCS 2805/2)  (from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 67)
7     Sec. 2. Powers and duties. The Department shall have the
8 following powers and duties:
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
15 governmental agency by reason of the service of such veteran,
16 and in pursuance thereof shall:
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;
20         (2) 2. Establish field offices and direct the
21     activities of the personnel assigned to such offices;
22         (3) 3. Create a volunteer field force of accredited
23     representatives, representing educational institutions,
24     labor organizations, veterans organizations, employers,

 

 

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1     churches, and farm organizations;
2         (4) 4. Conduct informational and training services;
3         (5) 5. Conduct educational programs through
4     newspapers, periodicals and radio for the specific purpose
5     of disseminating information affecting veterans and their
6     dependents;
7         (6) 6. Coordinate the services and activities of all
8     state departments having services and resources affecting
9     veterans and their dependents;
10         (7) 7. Encourage and assist in the coordination of
11     agencies within counties giving service to veterans and
12     their dependents;
13         (8) 8. Cooperate with veterans organizations and other
14     governmental agencies;
15         (9) 9. Make, alter, amend and promulgate reasonable
16     rules and procedures for the administration of this Act;
17         (10) 10. Make and publish annual reports to the
18     Governor regarding the administration and general
19     operation of the Department; and
20         (11) 11. Encourage the State to implement more programs
21     to address the wide range of issues faced by Persian Gulf
22     War Veterans, especially those who took part in combat, by
23     creating an official commission to further study Persian
24     Gulf War Diseases. The commission shall consist of 9
25     members appointed as follows: the Speaker and Minority
26     Leader of the House of Representatives and the President
27     and Minority Leader of the Senate shall each appoint one
28     member from the General Assembly, the Governor shall
29     appoint 4 members to represent veterans' organizations,
30     and the Department shall appoint one member. The commission
31     members shall serve without compensation; and .
32         (12) Conduct an annual review of the benefits received
33     by Illinois veterans that compares benefits received by
34     Illinois veterans with the benefits received by veterans in

 

 

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1     all other states and U.S. territories. The required annual
2     review shall include, but not be limited to, (1) the
3     average benefit paid to individual veterans from Illinois,
4     in direct comparison to the average benefit paid to
5     individual veterans of each of the other states and U.S.
6     territories; (2) the number of veterans receiving benefits
7     in Illinois for the first time during the year compared to
8     the number of claims filed by Illinois veterans during the
9     year; (3) the aggregate number of Illinois veterans
10     receiving benefits compared to the number of veterans from
11     each of the other states and U.S. territories receiving
12     benefits; and (4) a categorical analysis of the types of
13     injuries and disabilities for which benefits are being paid
14     in Illinois and each of the other states and U.S.
15     territories. The benefits review shall be reported to the
16     Governor, the General Assembly, and the Illinois
17     Congressional delegation upon the completion of the report
18     each year.
19     The Department may accept and hold on behalf of the State,
20 if for the public interest, a grant, gift, devise or bequest of
21 money or property to the Department made for the general
22 benefit of Illinois veterans, including the conduct of
23 informational and training services by the Department and other
24 authorized purposes of the Department. The Department shall
25 cause each grant, gift, devise or bequest to be kept as a
26 distinct fund and shall invest such funds in the manner
27 provided by the Public Funds Investment Act, as now or
28 hereafter amended, and shall make such reports as may be
29 required by the Comptroller concerning what funds are so held
30 and the manner in which such funds are invested. The Department
31 may make grants from these funds for the general benefit of
32 Illinois veterans. Grants from these funds, except for the
33 funds established under Sections 2.01a and 2.03, shall be
34 subject to appropriation.

 

 

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1     The Department has the power to make grants, from funds
2 appropriated from the Korean War Veterans National Museum and
3 Library Fund, to private organizations for the benefit of the
4 Korean War Veterans National Museum and Library.
5     The Department has the power to make grants, from funds
6 appropriated from the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund, for
7 benefits authorized under the Survivors Compensation Act.
8 (Source: P.A. 92-198, eff. 8-1-01; 92-651, eff. 7-11-02;
9 93-839, eff. 7-30-04.)
 
10     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January
11 1, 2006.".