Public Act 097-0765
 
SB3671 EnrolledLRB097 18888 RPM 64126 b


  
    AN ACT concerning State government.
  
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
represented in the General Assembly:
  
 
 
    Section 5. The Department of Veterans Affairs Act is 
amended  by changing Sections 2 and 8 as follows:
 



    (20 ILCS 2805/2)  (from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 67)


    Sec. 2. Powers and duties. The Department shall have the 
following
powers and duties:

    To perform such acts at the request of any veteran, or his 
or her spouse,
surviving spouse or dependents as shall be 
reasonably necessary
or reasonably incident to obtaining or 
endeavoring to obtain for the requester
any advantage, benefit 
or emolument accruing or due to such person under
any law of 
the United States, the State of Illinois or any other state or

governmental agency by reason of the service of such veteran, 
and in pursuance
thereof shall:


        (1) Contact veterans, their survivors and dependents 
    and advise them of
the benefits of state and federal laws 
    and assist them in obtaining such
benefits;


        (2) Establish field offices and direct the activities 
    of the personnel
assigned to such offices;


        (3) Create a volunteer field force of accredited 
    representatives,
representing educational institutions, 
    labor organizations, veterans
organizations, employers, 
    churches, and farm organizations;


        (4) Conduct informational and training services;


        (5) Conduct educational programs through newspapers, 
    periodicals and radio
for the specific purpose of 
    disseminating information affecting veterans
and their 
    dependents;


        (6) Coordinate the services and activities of all state 
    departments having
services and resources affecting 
    veterans and their dependents;


        (7) Encourage and assist in the coordination of 
    agencies within counties
giving service to veterans and 
    their dependents;


        (8) Cooperate with veterans organizations and other 
    governmental agencies;


        (9) Make, alter, amend and promulgate reasonable rules 
    and procedures for
the administration of this Act;


        (10) Make and publish annual reports to the Governor 
    regarding the
administration and general operation of the 
    Department;


        (11) (Blank); and 
        (12) (Blank). Conduct an annual review of the benefits 
    received
    by Illinois veterans that compares benefits 
    received by Illinois
    veterans with the benefits received by 
    veterans in all other
  states and U.S. territories.  The 
    required annual review shall include,
  but not be limited 
    to, (1) the average benefit paid to individual
  veterans 
    from Illinois, in direct comparison to the average benefit
  
    paid to individual veterans of each of the other states and 
    U.S.
  territories; (2) the number of veterans receiving 
    benefits in Illinois
  for the first time during the year 
    compared to the number of claims
  filed by Illinois veterans 
    during the year; (3) the aggregate number
  of Illinois 
    veterans receiving benefits compared to the number
  of 
    veterans from each of the other states and U.S. territories
  
    receiving benefits; and (4) a categorical analysis of the 
    types
  of injuries and disabilities for which benefits are 
    being paid
    in Illinois and each of the other states and 
    U.S. territories.
    The benefits review shall be reported to 
    the Governor, the
    General Assembly, and the Illinois 
    Congressional delegation upon
  the completion of the report 
    each year.

    The Department may accept and hold on behalf of the State, 
if for the
public interest, a grant, gift, devise or bequest of 
money or property to
the Department made for the general 
benefit of Illinois veterans,
including the conduct of 
informational and training services by the Department
and other 
authorized purposes of the Department.  The Department shall 
cause
each grant, gift, devise or bequest to be kept as a 
distinct fund and shall
invest such funds in the manner 
provided by the Public Funds Investment Act, as
now or 
hereafter amended, and shall make such reports as may
be 
required by the Comptroller concerning what funds are so held 
and
the manner in which such funds are invested.
The Department 
may make grants from these funds for the general benefit of

Illinois veterans.  Grants from these funds, except for the 
funds established
under Sections 2.01a and 2.03, shall be 
subject to appropriation.

    The Department has the power to make grants, from funds 
appropriated from
the
Korean War Veterans National Museum and 
Library Fund, to private organizations
for the benefit of the 
Korean War Veterans National Museum and Library.

    The Department has the power to make grants, from funds 
appropriated from the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund, for 
benefits authorized under the Survivors Compensation Act.

(Source: P.A. 97-297, eff. 1-1-12.)

 
    (20 ILCS 2805/8)

    Sec. 8. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Outpatient 
Counseling Program. Subject to appropriations for that 
purpose, the Department, in consultation with the Department of 
Human Services, shall contract with professional counseling 
specialists to provide a range of confidential counseling and 
direct treatment services to war-affected Southwest Asia 
combat veterans and their family members, and to provide 
additional treatment services to Viet Nam War veterans for 
post-traumatic stress disorder, particularly those Viet Nam 
veterans whose post-traumatic stress disorder has intensified 
or initially emerged due to the war in the Middle East.  Any 
such contracts entered into by the Department must be with 
individuals and entities pre-approved by the U.S. Department of 
Veterans Affairs and must be for the provision of services 
pre-approved by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In 
consultation with the Department of Human Services, the 
Department shall, to the extent funds are available:
        (1) develop an educational program designed to inform 
    and train primary health care professionals, including 
    mental health professionals, about the effects of 
    war-related stress and trauma;
        (2) provide informational and counseling services for 
    the purpose of establishing and fostering peer-support 
    networks throughout the State for families of deployed 
    members of the reserves and the Illinois National Guard; 
    and
        (3) provide for veterans' families a referral network 
    of mental health providers who are skilled in treating 
    deployment stress, combat stress, and post-traumatic 
    stress.
    As used in this Section, "Southwest Asia combat veteran" 
means an Illinois resident who is, or who was honorably 
discharged as, a member of the Armed Forces of the United 
States, a member of the Illinois National Guard, or a member of 
any reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States 
and who served on active duty in connection with Operation 
Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, or Operation Iraqi 
Freedom.

(Source: P.A. 95-576, eff. 8-31-07.)
 
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
becoming law.