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| | 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
SB0866 Introduced 2/7/2017, by Sen. Thomas Cullerton SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
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| 20 ILCS 2805/2 | from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 67 |
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Amends the Department of Veterans Affairs Act. Provides that the Department of Veterans Affairs shall provide informational resources and education to veterans returning from deployment regarding service animals for individuals with disabilities including, but not limited to, resources and education on service animals that guide people who are blind, pull a wheelchair, alert a person with hearing loss, protect a person having a seizure, assist a person with a traumatic brain injury, and calm a person with post-traumatic stress disorder during an anxiety attack or psychiatric episode.
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| | A BILL FOR |
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| | SB0866 | | LRB100 08696 MJP 18831 b |
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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) Contact veterans, their survivors and dependents |
| 18 | | and advise them of
the benefits of state and federal laws |
| 19 | | and assist them in obtaining such
benefits;
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| 20 | | (2) Establish field offices and direct the activities |
| 21 | | of the personnel
assigned to such offices;
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| 22 | | (3) Create and maintain a volunteer field force; the |
| 23 | | volunteer field force may include representatives from the |
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| 1 | | following without limitation: educational institutions, |
| 2 | | labor organizations, veterans
organizations, employers, |
| 3 | | churches, and farm organizations; the volunteer field |
| 4 | | force may not process federal veterans assistance claims;
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| 5 | | (4) Conduct informational and training services;
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| 6 | | (5) Conduct educational programs through newspapers, |
| 7 | | periodicals, social media, television, and radio
for the |
| 8 | | specific purpose of disseminating information affecting |
| 9 | | veterans
and their dependents;
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| 10 | | (6) Coordinate the services and activities of all state |
| 11 | | departments having
services and resources affecting |
| 12 | | veterans and their dependents;
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| 13 | | (7) Encourage and assist in the coordination of |
| 14 | | agencies within counties
giving service to veterans and |
| 15 | | their dependents;
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| 16 | | (8) Cooperate with veterans organizations and other |
| 17 | | governmental agencies;
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| 18 | | (9) Make, alter, amend and promulgate reasonable rules |
| 19 | | and procedures for
the administration of this Act;
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| 20 | | (10) Make and publish annual reports to the Governor |
| 21 | | regarding the
administration and general operation of the |
| 22 | | Department;
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| 23 | | (11) (Blank); and |
| 24 | | (12) (Blank); and . |
| 25 | | (13) Provide informational resources and education to |
| 26 | | veterans returning from deployment regarding service |
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| 1 | | animals for individuals with disabilities, including, but |
| 2 | | not limited to, resources and education on service animals |
| 3 | | that guide people who are blind, pull a wheelchair, alert a |
| 4 | | person with hearing loss, protect a person having a |
| 5 | | seizure, assist a person with a traumatic brain injury, and |
| 6 | | calm a person with post-traumatic stress disorder during an |
| 7 | | anxiety attack or psychiatric episode.
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| 8 | | The Department may accept and hold on behalf of the State, |
| 9 | | if for the
public interest, a grant, gift, devise or bequest of |
| 10 | | money or property to
the Department made for the general |
| 11 | | benefit of Illinois veterans,
including the conduct of |
| 12 | | informational and training services by the Department
and other |
| 13 | | authorized purposes of the Department. The Department shall |
| 14 | | cause
each grant, gift, devise or bequest to be kept as a |
| 15 | | distinct fund and shall
invest such funds in the manner |
| 16 | | provided by the Public Funds Investment Act, as
now or |
| 17 | | hereafter amended, and shall make such reports as may
be |
| 18 | | required by the Comptroller concerning what funds are so held |
| 19 | | and
the manner in which such funds are invested.
The Department |
| 20 | | may make grants from these funds for the general benefit of
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| 21 | | Illinois veterans. Grants from these funds, except for the |
| 22 | | funds established
under Sections 2.01a and 2.03, shall be |
| 23 | | subject to appropriation.
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| 24 | | The Department has the power to make grants, from funds |
| 25 | | appropriated from the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund, for |
| 26 | | benefits authorized under the Survivors Compensation Act. |