330 ILCS 110/ Veterans Burial Places Act.

(330 ILCS 110/0.01) (from Ch. 21, par. 59.9)

Sec. 0.01. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Veterans Burial Places Act.

(Source: P.A. 86-1324.)

(330 ILCS 110/1) (from Ch. 21, par. 59a)

(Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 103-746)

Sec. 1. For the purpose of locating the burial places of United States War Veterans and reporting to the United States Government under the provisions of the Federal Law respecting the erection of headstones at the graves of United States War Veterans and the erection of memorial markers where the remains of such veterans were not recovered or were buried at sea, the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall maintain a card file Roll of Honor, alphabetically arranged, of all veterans buried in the State or, if no remains were recovered or if such remains were buried at sea, of all the memorial markers for such veterans placed in the State and an additional record by counties showing the burials or memorial markers in each cemetery in each county. The records, so far as obtainable, shall contain the name of the veteran, war served in, his rank, organizations, dates of enlistment and discharge, date of death, description of grave or memorial marker, and name and location of cemetery. It shall also be his duty to prepare requisitions on the Federal Government for headstones or memorial markers when same are desired and to supervise their transportation from the railroad station to and erection at the grave of the veteran or at the site for the erection of a memorial marker if no remains were recovered or if such remains were buried at sea, certifying bills for same for payment.

The Department of Veterans' Affairs shall appoint such additional employees as may be required to maintain the records of War Veterans Graves and Memorial Markers Registration. The appointment of such employees shall not be subject to the provisions of any law relating to civil service or job classification on a merit basis.

"United States War Veterans", for purposes of this Act, means:

(1) Soldiers of the Union and Confederate Armies of the Civil War.

(2) Members of the Armed Forces of the United States dying in the service and former members whose last service terminated honorably.

(3) Persons buried in post and national cemeteries.

(4) Members of a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States, and members of the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard, whose death occurred under honorable conditions while they were:

(a) on active duty for training, or performing full-time service under Section 316, 503, 504, or 505 of Title 32, United States Code;

(b) performing authorized travel to or from that duty or service;

(c) on authorized inactive duty training, including training performed as members of the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard; or

(d) hospitalized or undergoing treatment, at the expense of the United States, for injury or disease contracted or incurred under honorable conditions while they were:

(i) on that duty or service;

(ii) performing that travel or inactive duty training; or

(iii) undergoing that hospitalization or treatment at the expenses of the United States.

(5) Members of the Reserve Officers Training Corps of the Army, Navy, or Air Force whose death occurred under honorable conditions while they were:

(a) attending an authorized training camp or on an authorized practice cruise;

(b) performing authorized travel to or from that camp or cruise; or

(c) hospitalized or undergoing treatment, at the expense of the United States, for injury or disease contracted or incurred under honorable conditions while they were:

(i) attending that camp or on that cruise;

(ii) performing that travel; or

(iii) undergoing that hospitalization or treatment at the expense of the United States.

(Source: P.A. 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)

(Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 103-746)

Sec. 1. For the purpose of locating the burial places of United States War Veterans and reporting to the United States Government under the provisions of the Federal Law respecting the erection of headstones at the graves of United States War Veterans and the erection of memorial markers where the remains of such veterans were not recovered or were buried at sea, the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall maintain a card file Roll of Honor, alphabetically arranged, of all veterans buried in the State or, if no remains were recovered or if such remains were buried at sea, of all the memorial markers for such veterans placed in the State and an additional record by counties showing the burials or memorial markers in each cemetery in each county. The records, so far as obtainable, shall contain the name of the veteran, war served in, his rank, organizations, dates of enlistment and discharge, date of death, description of grave or memorial marker, and name and location of cemetery. It shall also be his duty to prepare requisitions on the Federal Government for headstones or memorial markers when same are desired and to supervise their transportation from the railroad station to and erection at the grave of the veteran or at the site for the erection of a memorial marker if no remains were recovered or if such remains were buried at sea, certifying bills for same for payment.

The Department of Veterans' Affairs shall appoint such additional employees as may be required to maintain the records of War Veterans Graves and Memorial Markers Registration. The appointment of such employees shall not be subject to the provisions of any law relating to civil service or job classification on a merit basis.

"United States War Veterans", for purposes of this Act, means:

(1) Soldiers of the Union and Confederate Armies of the Civil War.

(2) Members of the Armed Forces of the United States dying in the service and former members whose last service terminated honorably.

(3) Persons buried in post and national cemeteries.

(4) Members of a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States, and members of the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard, whose death occurred under honorable conditions while they were:

(a) on active duty for training, or performing full-time service under Section 316, 503, 504, or 505 of Title 32, United States Code;

(b) performing authorized travel to or from that duty or service;

(c) on authorized inactive duty training, including training performed as members of the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard; or

(d) hospitalized or undergoing treatment, at the expense of the United States, for injury or disease contracted or incurred under honorable conditions while they were:

(i) on that duty or service;

(ii) performing that travel or inactive duty training; or

(iii) undergoing that hospitalization or treatment at the expenses of the United States.

(5) Members of the Reserve Officers Training Corps of the Army, Navy, Space Force, or Air Force whose death occurred under honorable conditions while they were:

(a) attending an authorized training camp or on an authorized practice cruise;

(b) performing authorized travel to or from that camp or cruise; or

(c) hospitalized or undergoing treatment, at the expense of the United States, for injury or disease contracted or incurred under honorable conditions while they were:

(i) attending that camp or on that cruise;

(ii) performing that travel; or

(iii) undergoing that hospitalization or treatment at the expense of the United States.

(Source: P.A. 103-746, eff. 1-1-25.)

(330 ILCS 110/1.1) (from Ch. 21, par. 59a1)

Sec. 1.1. When a headstone or memorial marker is provided for a United States War Veteran by the United States Government pursuant to Section 2306 of Title 38 of the United States Code, the Department of Veterans' Affairs, subject to appropriation, shall pay an amount not to exceed $125 to the next of kin or $125 to the cemetery official responsible for the cost of transporting and erecting the headstone or memorial. However, no such payment shall be made unless a signed application is presented to the Department by the next of kin or cemetery official, along with such other proof of transportation or erection charges as the Department may require. All such applications for payment shall be on forms provided by the Department.

(Source: P.A. 101-317, eff. 8-9-19.)

(330 ILCS 110/2) (from Ch. 21, par. 59b)

Sec. 2. Every person, firm or corporation owning or controlling any cemetery or burial place in this State shall by itself, his or its superintendent or agent, keep a permanent record of the burial of each United States War Veteran or the erection of a memorial marker for any veteran whose remains were not recovered or where buried at sea, such record to contain the name of the veteran, date of death, and the location of grave or memorial marker in cemetery, and when requested so to do, shall report such information to the Department of Veterans' Affairs on forms furnished by the Department. Any person, firm or corporation owning or controlling a cemetery or burial place, who fails to make and file such report within 30 days after receipt of such request is guilty of a petty offense and upon conviction thereof shall be fined not less than $10 nor more than $100. It is the duty of the State's attorney in the county where the cemetery or burial place is located to enforce the provisions of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 81-167.)

(330 ILCS 110/3) (from Ch. 21, par. 59c)

Sec. 3. For the purpose of locating the burial places of United States War Veterans, the different Veteran organizations, their auxiliaries and affiliated organizations in the State of Illinois are authorized, without expense to the State, to collect the required data and prepare and file with the Department of Veterans' Affairs the information provided for in Section 1 hereof. For filing and recording this report, the Department of Veterans' Affairs may charge a fee of 25 cents for a single report and not to exceed 50 cents per folio for reports containing more than one name and more than one folio. A representative of the Department of Veterans' Affairs may visit cemeteries of the State or resort to any other reliable means to locate the burial places of United States War Veterans.

(Source: P.A. 100-143, eff. 1-1-18.)

(330 ILCS 110/3.1) (from Ch. 21, par. 59c1)

Sec. 3.1. The Department of Veterans' Affairs shall promulgate rules and procedures reasonably necessary for the administration of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 86-506.)