Bill Text: IL HB1352 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Military Veterans Assistance Act. Expands the Act to allow for the formation of multi-county Veterans Assistance Commissions. Provides that veteran service organizations located in 2 or more adjacent counties having a population of 60,000 or less may enter into an agreement to come together and jointly form a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission to serve the adjacent counties in accordance with the Act. Provides that a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission may also be formed under an agreement between an existing county Veterans Assistance Commission and a veteran service organization located in an adjacent county that is without a veterans assistance commission and has a population of 60,000 or less. Requires an agreement to form and maintain a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission to set forth: (i) the distribution of funding with respect to each member county; (ii) the location of the Commission's office; (iii) the type of services provided; (iv) the superintendent selection or appointment process; (v) Commission rules and policies; and (vi) the composition of delegates and alternates on the Commission. Provides that multi-county Veterans Assistance Commissions shall have the same powers and duties under the Act as Veterans Assistance Commissions that serve one county. Makes corresponding changes in the Counties Code, the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Drug Court Treatment Act, the Veterans and Servicemembers Court Treatment Act, and the Mental Health Court Treatment Act. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-28 - Referred to Rules Committee [HB1352 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB1352-Introduced.html

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1352 Introduced , by Rep. Kyle Moore SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
See Index
Amends the Military Veterans Assistance Act. Expands the Act to allow for the formation of multi-county Veterans Assistance Commissions. Provides that veteran service organizations located in 2 or more adjacent counties having a population of 60,000 or less may enter into an agreement to come together and jointly form a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission to serve the adjacent counties in accordance with the Act. Provides that a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission may also be formed under an agreement between an existing county Veterans Assistance Commission and a veteran service organization located in an adjacent county that is without a veterans assistance commission and has a population of 60,000 or less. Requires an agreement to form and maintain a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission to set forth: (i) the distribution of funding with respect to each member county; (ii) the location of the Commission's office; (iii) the type of services provided; (iv) the superintendent selection or appointment process; (v) Commission rules and policies; and (vi) the composition of delegates and alternates on the Commission. Provides that multi-county Veterans Assistance Commissions shall have the same powers and duties under the Act as Veterans Assistance Commissions that serve one county. Makes corresponding changes in the Counties Code, the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Drug Court Treatment Act, the Veterans and Servicemembers Court Treatment Act, and the Mental Health Court Treatment Act. Effective immediately.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning military service.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Counties Code is amended by changing
Sections 3-9005 and 5-2006 as follows:
(55 ILCS 5/3-9005) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-9005)
Sec. 3-9005. Powers and duties of State's Attorney.
(a) The duty of each State's Attorney shall be:
(1) To commence and prosecute all actions, suits,
indictments and prosecutions, civil and criminal, in the
circuit court for the county, in which the people of the
State or county may be concerned.
(2) To prosecute all forfeited bonds and
recognizances, and all actions and proceedings for the
recovery of debts, revenues, moneys, fines, penalties and
forfeitures accruing to the State or the county, or to any
school district or road district in the county; also, to
prosecute all suits in the county against railroad or
transportation companies, which may be prosecuted in the
name of the People of the State of Illinois.
(3) To commence and prosecute all actions and
proceedings brought by any county officer in the county
officer's official capacity.

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(4) To defend all actions and proceedings brought
against the county, or against any county or State
officer, in the county or State officer's official
capacity, within the county.
(5) To attend the examination of all persons brought
before any judge on habeas corpus, when the prosecution is
in the county.
(6) To attend before judges and prosecute charges of
felony or misdemeanor, for which the offender is required
to be recognized to appear before the circuit court, when
in the State's Attorney's power so to do.
(7) To give the State's Attorney's opinion, without
fee or reward, to any county officer in the county, upon
any question or law relating to any criminal or other
matter, in which the people or the county may be
concerned.
(8) To assist the Attorney General whenever it may be
necessary, and in cases of appeal from the county to the
Supreme Court, to which it is the duty of the Attorney
General to attend, the State's Attorney shall furnish the
Attorney General at least 10 days before such is due to be
filed, a manuscript of a proposed statement, brief and
argument to be printed and filed on behalf of the people,
prepared in accordance with the rules of the Supreme
Court. However, if such brief, argument or other document
is due to be filed by law or order of court within this

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10-day period, then the State's Attorney shall furnish
such as soon as may be reasonable.
(9) To pay all moneys received by the State's Attorney
in trust, without delay, to the officer who by law is
entitled to the custody thereof.
(10) To notify, by first class mail, complaining
witnesses of the ultimate disposition of the cases arising
from an indictment or an information.
(11) To perform such other and further duties as may,
from time to time, be enjoined on the State's Attorney by
law.
(12) To appear in all proceedings by collectors of
taxes against delinquent taxpayers for judgments to sell
real estate, and see that all the necessary preliminary
steps have been legally taken to make the judgment legal
and binding.
(13) To notify, by first-class mail, the State
Superintendent of Education, the applicable regional
superintendent of schools, and the superintendent of the
employing school district or the chief school
administrator of the employing nonpublic school, if any,
upon the conviction of any individual known to possess a
certificate or license issued pursuant to Article 21 or
21B, respectively, of the School Code of any offense set
forth in Section 21B-80 of the School Code or any other
felony conviction, providing the name of the certificate

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holder, the fact of the conviction, and the name and
location of the court where the conviction occurred. The
certificate holder must also be contemporaneously sent a
copy of the notice.
(b) The State's Attorney of each county shall have
authority to appoint one or more special investigators to
serve subpoenas and summonses, make return of process, and
conduct investigations which assist the State's Attorney in
the performance of the State's Attorney duties. In counties of
the first and second class, the fees for service of subpoenas
and summonses are allowed by this Section and shall be
consistent with those set forth in Section 4-5001 of this Act,
except when increased by county ordinance as provided for in
Section 4-5001. In counties of the third class, the fees for
service of subpoenas and summonses are allowed by this Section
and shall be consistent with those set forth in Section
4-12001 of this Act. A special investigator shall not carry
firearms except with permission of the State's Attorney and
only while carrying appropriate identification indicating the
special investigator's employment and in the performance of
the special investigator's assigned duties.
Subject to the qualifications set forth in this
subsection, special investigators shall be peace officers and
shall have all the powers possessed by investigators under the
State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor's Act.
No special investigator employed by the State's Attorney

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shall have peace officer status or exercise police powers
unless the special investigator successfully completes the
basic police training course mandated and approved by the
Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board or such
board waives the training requirement by reason of the special
investigator's prior law enforcement experience or training or
both. Any State's Attorney appointing a special investigator
shall consult with all affected local police agencies, to the
extent consistent with the public interest, if the special
investigator is assigned to areas within that agency's
jurisdiction.
Before a person is appointed as a special investigator,
the person's fingerprints shall be taken and transmitted to
the Department of State Police. The Department shall examine
its records and submit to the State's Attorney of the county in
which the investigator seeks appointment any conviction
information concerning the person on file with the Department.
No person shall be appointed as a special investigator if the
person has been convicted of a felony or other offense
involving moral turpitude. A special investigator shall be
paid a salary and be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred
in performing the special investigator's assigned duties. The
county board shall approve the salary and actual expenses and
appropriate the salary and expenses in the manner prescribed
by law or ordinance.
(c) The State's Attorney may request and receive from

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employers, labor unions, telephone companies, and utility
companies location information concerning putative fathers and
noncustodial parents for the purpose of establishing a child's
paternity or establishing, enforcing, or modifying a child
support obligation. In this subsection, "location information"
means information about (i) the physical whereabouts of a
putative father or noncustodial parent, (ii) the putative
father or noncustodial parent's employer, or (iii) the salary,
wages, and other compensation paid and the health insurance
coverage provided to the putative father or noncustodial
parent by the employer of the putative father or noncustodial
parent or by a labor union of which the putative father or
noncustodial parent is a member.
(d) (Blank).
(e) The State's Attorney shall have the authority to enter
into a written agreement with the Department of Revenue for
pursuit of civil liability under subsection (E) of Section
17-1 of the Criminal Code of 2012 against persons who have
issued to the Department checks or other orders in violation
of the provisions of paragraph (1) of subsection (B) of
Section 17-1 of the Criminal Code of 2012, with the Department
to retain the amount owing upon the dishonored check or order
along with the dishonored check fee imposed under the Uniform
Penalty and Interest Act, with the balance of damages, fees,
and costs collected under subsection (E) of Section 17-1 of
the Criminal Code of 2012 or under Section 17-1a of that Code

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to be retained by the State's Attorney. The agreement shall
not affect the allocation of fines and costs imposed in any
criminal prosecution.
(f) In a county with less than 2,000,000 inhabitants, and
only upon receipt of a written request by the superintendent
of the county or multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission
for the county in which the State's Attorney is located, the
State's Attorney shall have the discretionary authority to
render an opinion, without fee or reward, upon any question of
law relating to a matter in which the county or multi-county
Veterans Assistance Commission may be concerned. The State's
Attorney shall have the discretion to grant or decline such a
request.
(Source: P.A. 101-275, eff. 8-9-19; 102-56, eff. 7-9-21.)
(55 ILCS 5/5-2006) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-2006)
Sec. 5-2006. Tax for Veterans Assistance Commission. The
county board of each county having a population of less than 3
million in which there is a Veterans Assistance Commission or
which is a part of a multi-county Veterans Assistance
Commission as provided in Section 9 of the Military Veterans
Assistance Act may levy a tax of not to exceed .03% of the
assessed value annually on all taxable property of the county,
for the purpose of providing assistance to military veterans
and their families pursuant to such Act. Whenever not less
than 10% of the electors of the county petition the county

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board to levy the tax at not to exceed .04% of the assessed
value, the county board shall certify the proposition to the
proper election officials who shall submit the proposition at
the next general election in accordance with the general
election law. If a majority of the electors vote in favor of
the proposition, the county board may, annually, levy the tax
as authorized. The proceeds of any tax so levied shall be used
exclusively for the assistance purposes authorized thereunder,
and a portion thereof may be expended for the salaries of any
officers or employees of the county or multi-county Veterans
Assistance Commission, for the authorized reimbursement of any
officer or employee of the county or multi-county Veterans
Assistance Commission, as provided in Section 10 of the
Military Veterans Assistance Act, or for any other expenses
incident to the administration of such assistance.
The tax shall be separate from all other taxes which the
county is authorized to levy on the aggregate valuation of the
property within the county and shall not be included in any tax
limitation of the rate upon which taxes are required to be
extended, but shall be excluded therefrom and in addition
thereto. The tax shall be levied and collected in like manner
as the general taxes of the county, and, when collected, shall
be paid into a special fund in the county treasury and used
only as herein authorized, or disbursed from the county
treasury of a county in which a properly organized county or
multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission is authorized

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under Section 3-11008 of this Code.
The limitations on tax rates herein provided may be
increased or decreased under the referendum provisions of the
General Revenue Law of Illinois.
If a county has levied the tax herein authorized or
otherwise meets the conditions set out in Section 12-21.13 of
the Illinois Public Aid Code, to qualify for State funds to
supplement local funds for public purposes under Articles III,
IV, V, VI, and IX of that Code and otherwise meets the
conditions set out in Article XII of that Code for receipt of
State aid, the Illinois Department of Human Services shall
allocate and pay to the county such additional sums as it
determines to be necessary to meet the needs of assistance to
military veterans and their families in the county and
expenses incident to the administration of such assistance. In
counties where a county or multi-county Veterans Assistance
Commission has been properly created, those County Veterans
Assistance Commissions or Multi-County Veterans Assistance
Commissions shall be in charge of the administration of such
assistance provided under the Illinois Public Aid Code for
military veterans and their families.
(Source: P.A. 102-732, eff. 1-1-23; 102-1132, eff. 2-10-23.)
Section 10. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by
changing Sections 12-3, 12-21.5, and 12-21.13 as follows:

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(305 ILCS 5/12-3) (from Ch. 23, par. 12-3)
Sec. 12-3. Local governmental units. As provided in
Article VI, local governmental units shall provide funds for
and administer the programs provided in that Article subject,
where so provided, to the supervision of the Illinois
Department. Local governmental units shall also provide the
social services and utilize the rehabilitative facilities
authorized in Article IX for persons served through Article
VI, and shall discharge such other duties as may be required by
this Code or other laws of this State.
In counties not under township organization, the county
shall provide funds for and administer such programs.
In counties under township organization (including any
such counties in which the governing authority is a board of
commissioners) the various towns other than those towns lying
entirely within the corporate limits of any city, village or
incorporated town having a population of more than 500,000
inhabitants shall provide funds for and administer such
programs.
Cities, villages, and incorporated towns having a
population of more than 500,000 inhabitants shall provide
funds for public aid purposes under Article VI but the
Department of Human Services shall administer the program for
such municipality. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2003,
however, the municipality shall decrease by $5,000,000 the
amount of funds it provides for public aid purposes under

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Article VI. For each fiscal year thereafter, the municipality
shall decrease the amount of funds it provides for public aid
purposes under Article VI in that fiscal year by an additional
amount equal to (i) $5,000,000 or (ii) the amount provided by
the municipality in the preceding fiscal year, whichever is
less, until the municipality does not provide any funds for
public aid purposes under Article VI.
Incorporated towns which have superseded civil townships
shall provide funds for and administer the public aid program
provided by Article VI.
In counties of less than 3 million population having a
County Veterans Assistance Commission or a Multi-County
Veterans Assistance Commission in which there has been levied
a tax as authorized by Section 5-2006 of the Counties Code for
the purpose of providing assistance to military veterans and
their families, the County Veterans Assistance Commission or
Multi-County Veterans Assistance Commission shall administer
the programs provided by Article VI for such military veterans
and their families as seek aid through the County Veterans
Assistance Commission or Multi-County Veterans Assistance
Commission.
(Source: P.A. 92-111, eff. 1-1-02; 92-597, eff. 6-28-02.)
(305 ILCS 5/12-21.5) (from Ch. 23, par. 12-21.5)
Sec. 12-21.5. Veterans Assistance Commission as local
governmental unit.

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In counties having less than 3 million inhabitants in
which there is created a County Veterans Assistance Commission
or a Multi-County Veterans Assistance Commission, the
Superintendent of Veterans Assistance shall be selected and
other employees appointed as provided in Section 10 of the
Military Veterans Assistance Act and the compensation of the
Superintendent and other employees shall be as therein
provided.
(Source: P.A. 87-796.)
(305 ILCS 5/12-21.13) (from Ch. 23, par. 12-21.13)
Sec. 12-21.13. Local funds required to qualify for state
aid. To qualify for State funds to supplement local funds for
public aid purposes, a local governmental unit shall, except
as hereinafter provided, levy within the time that such levy
is authorized to be made a tax of an amount which, when added
to the unobligated balance available for such purposes at the
close of the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which
the tax is levied will equal .10% of the last known total
equalized value of all taxable property in the governmental
unit.
In a county of less than 3 million population in which
there is created a County Veterans Assistance Commission or a
Multi-County Veterans Assistance Commission, the county shall
levy for assistance to military veterans and their families,
within the time that such levy is authorized to be made, a tax

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of an amount which, when added to the unobligated balance
available for such purpose at the close of the preceding
fiscal year will equal .02% of the last known assessed value of
the taxable property in the county, or which will equal .03% of
such assessed value if such higher amount is authorized by the
electors of the county, as provided in Section 5-2006 of the
Counties Code.
If, however, at the latest date in the year on which the
aforesaid taxes are authorized to be levied there is in the
unobligated balance of the local governmental unit an amount
equal to .10%, or .02% in the case of Veterans' Assistance, of
the last known total equalized value of all taxable property
in the governmental unit, then no tax need be levied in that
year in order for the local governmental unit to qualify for
State funds.
In determining the amount of the unobligated balance which
is to be applied in producing the required levy for receipt of
State funds, or which is to be applied in determining whether a
tax levy is required, there shall be deducted from the gross
unobligated balance of funds available at the close of the
preceding fiscal year the total amount of State funds
allocated to the governmental unit during that year and the
total amount of any monies transferred to a township's general
town fund under Section 235-20 of the Township Code during
that year, and only the remainder shall be considered in
determining the amount of the deficiency needed to produce an

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amount equal to the qualifying levy for the current year.
(Source: P.A. 87-796; 88-670, eff. 12-2-94.)
Section 15. The Military Veterans Assistance Act is
amended by changing Sections 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, and 10 as
follows:
(330 ILCS 45/1) (from Ch. 23, par. 3081)
Sec. 1. Definitions. As used in this Act:
"Commission" means a county Veterans Assistance Commission
or a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission, or both,
unless the context requires a different meaning.
"Member county" means any county that is served by a
multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission established in
accordance with subsection (a-1) of Section 9.
"Veteran service organization" means a post, ship, camp,
chapter, or detachment of a congressionally chartered or state
chartered organization that (i) is formed by and for veterans,
(ii) has a paid membership of at least 15 individuals, and
(iii) provides responsible aid, assistance, or services to the
veteran community.
"Administrator of military veterans assistance" means the
commanders of the various veteran service organizations, the
superintendent of a County Veterans Assistance Commission, or
other persons whose duty it is, under the existing statutes,
to care for, relieve or maintain, wholly or in part, any person

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who may be entitled to such assistance under the statutes of
the State of Illinois. This Act shall not infringe upon the
mandated powers and authorities vested in the Illinois
Department of Veterans' Affairs.
(Source: P.A. 102-732, eff. 1-1-23; 102-1132, eff. 2-10-23.)
(330 ILCS 45/2) (from Ch. 23, par. 3082)
Sec. 2. The purpose of this Act is, in part, to provide, in
accordance with this Section, just and necessary assistance
and services to military veterans who served in the Armed
Forces of the United States and whose last discharge from the
service was honorable or general under honorable conditions,
to their families, and to the families of deceased veterans
with service who need such assistance and services. The
following actions shall be taken in support of that purpose:
(1) The supervisor of general assistance or the county
board shall provide such sums of money as may be just and
necessary to be drawn by the commander, quartermaster or
commandant of any veterans service organization, in the
city or town, or the superintendent of any county or
multi-county Veterans' Assistance Commission of the
county, upon the recommendation of the assistance
committee of that veterans service organization or county
or multi-county Veterans' Assistance Commission.
(A) Funding for county and multi-county Veterans
Assistance Commissions may be derived from 3 sources,

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if applicable:
(i) a tax levied under Section 5-2006 of the
Counties Code and Section 12-21.13 of the Illinois
Public Aid Code;
(ii) funds from the county general corporate
fund or, in the case of a multi-county Veterans
Assistance Commission, from the county general
corporate fund of each member county; and
(iii) State funds from the Department of Human
Services.
(B) The minimum amount to be provided annually to
county and multi-county Veterans Assistance
Commissions is provided in Section 12-21.13 of the
Illinois Public Aid Code, unless the delegates of the
County or Multi-County Veterans Assistance Commission
determine that a lesser amount covers the just and
necessary sums.
(2) If any supervisor of general assistance or county
board fails or refuses after such recommendation to
provide just and necessary sums of money for such
assistance, then the veteran service organization or the
superintendent of any county or multi-county Veterans'
Assistance Commission located in the district of such
supervisor of general assistance or such county board
shall apply to the circuit court of the district or county
for relief by mandamus upon the supervisor of general

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assistance or county board requiring him, her or it to
pay, or to appropriate and pay such sums of money, and upon
proof made of the justice and necessity of the claim, the
circuit court shall grant the sums so requested.
(3) Such sums of money shall be drawn in the manner now
provided under Section 5-2006 of the Counties Code and
Section 12-21.13 of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Orders
of commanders, quartermasters, commandants, or
superintendents of those veterans service organizations or
those county or multi-county Veterans' Assistance
Commissions shall be proper warrants for the expenditure
of such sums of money.
(Source: P.A. 102-732, eff. 1-1-23; 102-1132, eff. 2-10-23.)
(330 ILCS 45/4) (from Ch. 23, par. 3084)
Sec. 4. Upon the taking effect of this Act, the commander
of any veteran service organization or any properly created
county or multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission, which
shall undertake the assistance of military veterans and their
families, as hereinbefore provided, before the acts of the
commander, quartermaster, or commandant shall be operative in
any city or town, shall file with the city clerk of such city
or town clerk of such town, or administrator of military
veterans assistance of such town or county, a notice that said
veteran service organization or county or multi-county
Veterans Assistance Commission intends to undertake such

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assistance as is provided by this Act, and such notice shall
contain the names of the assistance committee of the veteran
service organization or county or multi-county Veterans
Assistance Commission in such city or town, and the commander
and other officers of said veteran service organization or
county or multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission. And the
commander of the veteran service organization or county or
multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission shall annually
thereafter, during the month of October, file a similar notice
with the city or town clerk, or the administrator of military
veterans assistance, also a detailed statement of the amount
of assistance furnished during the preceding year, with the
names of all persons to whom such assistance shall have been
furnished, together with a brief statement in such case from
the assistance committee upon whose recommendation the orders
were drawn. Any person who fails or neglects so to do at the
time required by this Act shall be guilty of a petty offense
and fined $250 to be recovered in the name of the county in the
circuit court.
(Source: P.A. 102-732, eff. 1-1-23.)
(330 ILCS 45/5) (from Ch. 23, par. 3085)
Sec. 5. The auditing board of any city or town or county
auditor, or the administrator of military veterans assistance
of any city, town, or county, may require of the commander,
quartermaster, or commandant of any veteran service

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organization, or superintendent of any properly organized
county or multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission,
undertaking such assistance in any city or town, a bond with
sufficient and satisfactory sureties for the faithful and
honest discharge of their duties under this Act.
(Source: P.A. 102-732, eff. 1-1-23.)
(330 ILCS 45/8) (from Ch. 23, par. 3088)
Sec. 8. The commander, quartermaster, or commandant of any
veteran service organization or the superintendent of any
county or multi-county Veterans' Assistance Commission of
Illinois shall annually report to the Governor, on or before
the first day of January of each year, such portions of the
transactions of the aforementioned veteran service
organization or county or multi-county Veterans Assistance
Commission relating thereto as the commander or superintendent
may deem to be of interest to that organization and the people
of the State. A copy of that report shall be provided to the
president or chairperson of the county board and shall be made
publicly available online.
(Source: P.A. 102-732, eff. 1-1-23; 102-1132, eff. 2-10-23.)
(330 ILCS 45/9) (from Ch. 23, par. 3089)
Sec. 9. Veterans Assistance Commission.
(a) In counties having 2 or more veteran service
organizations as may be recognized by law, the veteran service

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organizations may come together to form a Veterans Assistance
Commission of such county.
(a-1) Beginning on and after the effective date of this
amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly, veteran service
organizations located in 2 or more adjacent counties having a
population of 60,000 or less may enter into an agreement to
come together and jointly form a multi-county Veterans
Assistance Commission to serve the adjacent counties in
accordance with this Act. A multi-county Veterans Assistance
Commission may also be formed under an agreement between an
existing county Veterans Assistance Commission and a veteran
service organization located in an adjacent county that is
without a veterans assistance commission and has a population
of 60,000 or less. An agreement to form and maintain a
multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission shall be in
accordance with this Act and shall set forth the following:
(i) the distribution of funding with respect to each member
county as provided in Section 2; (ii) the location of the
Commission's office; (iii) the type of services provided; (iv)
the superintendent selection or appointment process; (v)
Commission rules and policies including those provided in
subsection (g-5); and (vi) the composition of delegates and
alternates on the Commission. Multi-county Veterans Assistance
Commissions shall have the same powers and duties under this
Act as county Veterans Assistance Commissions, including
powers and duties provided under Sections 2 and 9 and those

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powers and duties set out in the terms of the agreement
establishing the multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission.
(a-5) The county or multi-county Veterans Assistance
Commission of such county may act as the central service
office for all veterans and their families and for the
families of deceased veterans. The Commission shall be
composed of delegates and alternates from a majority of such
veteran service organizations selected annually as determined
by each veteran service organization located within the county
or within the respective member counties. When so organized a
Commission shall be clothed with all the powers and may be
charged with all the duties theretofore devolving upon the
different veteran service organizations within the county or
member counties as provided in Section 2.
(1) Every January 1, all county and multi-county
Veterans Assistance Commissions shall publish a notice to
each veteran service organization within their respective
county or member counties calling on them to select
delegates and alternates for the county or multi-county
that county's Veterans Assistance Commission by the
methods provided in this subsection. The Veterans
Assistance Commissions shall allow each veteran service
organization until March 1 to respond, at which time those
selected and duly appointed delegates and alternates shall
begin their term of office with full voting rights. Once
selected, delegates and alternates are bound by the Public

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Officer Prohibited Activities Act.
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), veteran
service organizations shall be permitted to select one
delegate and one alternate.
(3) In counties with 5 or more of the same veteran
service organizations, all the constituent veteran service
organizations shall be permitted to select up to 5
delegates and 5 alternates to represent that veteran
service organization instead of each constituent veteran
service organization selecting one delegate and one
alternate. For the purposes of meeting the majority
requirement of this subsection, when the constituent
groups of a veteran service organization choose to select
those delegates and alternates, those selected and duly
appointed delegates and alternates shall represent the
aggregate percentage of the constituent groups.
(4) Except as provided in an agreement establishing a
multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission under
subsection (a-1), if If a veteran service organization
serves more than one county, then it shall be permitted to
select one delegate and one alternate for the Veterans
Assistance Commission in each county in which at least 25%
of its members reside.
(5) All undertakings of, or actions taken by, the
Commission shall require a vote from a majority of the
full commission membership. No committee or other subgroup

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of delegates and alternates formed by the Commission,
whether selected or appointed, may be granted the power or
authority to act in the place of or on behalf of the full
body of the duly selected or appointed Commission
membership.
(6) No superintendent or any other employee of the
county or multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission may
retain the position of delegate or alternate or any voting
rights while employed by the Veterans Assistance
Commission.
(7) No committee or other subgroup of delegates and
alternates formed by the Commission, whether selected or
appointed, may bar any other duly appointed Commission
member from attending or otherwise being present during
any closed meetings or sessions of that committee or
group.
(8) The county or member counties may, at its
discretion, appoint a representative to the Commission who
may attend any public meeting of the Commission. That
representative shall be a veteran, may not have voting
rights, may not hold any office or title on the
Commission, and may not be present during any nonpublic
meeting of the Commission, except as authorized in this
Act. For matters of executive session, the non-voting
county appointee may attend meetings that are closed in
accordance with paragraphs (1), (3), (5), (6), or (11) of

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subsection (c) of Section 2 of the Open Meetings Act for
litigation matters not relating to litigation between the
Commission and the county or member counties County.
(b) The Commission and its selected or appointed
superintendent shall have oversight of the distribution of all
moneys and supplies appropriated for the benefit of military
veterans and their families, subject to such rules,
regulations, administrative procedures or audit reviews as are
required by this Act and as are necessary as approved by the
Commission to carry out the spirit and intent of this Act. No
warrant authorized under this Act may be issued for the
payment of money without the presentation of an itemized
statement or claim, approved by the superintendent of the
Commission.
(c) The superintendent of the county or multi-county
Veterans Assistance Commission, selected, appointed, or hired
by the Commission is an at-will employee who shall be
answerable to, and shall report to, the Commission.
(d) The superintendent shall be evaluated annually and a
written report shall be generated. A copy of the report from
the evaluation shall be provided to the entire Commission
membership.
(e) A superintendent may be removed from office if, after
delegates from no less than 3 different veteran service
organizations file a written request calling for the
superintendent's removal, there is a vote from a majority of

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the full Commission membership in favor of such removal.
(f) Each county and multi-county Veterans Assistance
Commission shall establish and maintain bylaws that outline
the framework, policies, and procedures for conducting the
business of the Commission and for the rules and regulations
that apply to its members. Those bylaws shall reflect
compliance with all relevant laws at the time they are
established and shall be revised as necessary to remain in
compliance with current law. The establishment of those
bylaws, and any revisions thereafter, shall require a minimum
two-thirds majority vote of approval from a majority of the
full Commission membership.
(g) Each county Veterans Assistance Commission shall, in
writing, adopt all applicable policies already established and
in place in its respective county, including, but not limited
to, policies related to compensation, employee rights, ethics,
procurement, and budget, and shall adapt those policies to fit
its organizational structure. Those policies shall then be
considered the policies of the county Veterans Assistance
Commission and they shall be implemented and adhered to,
accordingly, by the superintendent and by the Commission. The
Commission shall amend its adopted policies whenever a county
board amends an applicable policy within 60 days of the county
board amendment.
(g-5) Each multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission
shall, in writing, adopt policies related to compensation,

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employee rights, ethics, procurement, and budget that fit the
Commission's organizational structure. Those policies shall
then be considered the policies of the multi-county Veterans
Assistance Commission and they shall be implemented and
adhered to, accordingly, by the superintendent and by the
Commission. The agreement establishing the multi-county
Veterans Assistance Commission, as provided in subsection
(a-1), shall set forth a process for reviewing and amending
Commission policies.
(h) No warrant authorized under this Act may be issued for
the payment of money without the presentation of an itemized
statement or claim, approved by the superintendent of the
Commission and reported to the full Commission membership.
(i) Each county and multi-county Veterans Assistance
Commission shall perform an annual audit in accordance with
the Governmental Account Audit Act using either the auditing
services provided by its respective county or one of its
member counties or the services of an independent auditor
whose services shall be paid for by the Commission. A copy of
that audit report shall be provided to the president or
chairperson of the county board or, in the case of a
multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission, the president or
chairperson of each county board of those counties served by
the Commission.
(j) County Veterans Assistance Commissions, multi-county
Veterans Assistance Commissions, and county boards subject to

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this Act shall cooperate fully with the boards, commissions,
agencies, departments, and institutions of the State. The
funds held and made available by the county or member
counties, the State, or any other source shall be subject to
financial and compliance audits in accordance with the
Illinois State Auditing Act.
(k) The county or multi-county Veterans Assistance
Commission shall be in charge of the administration of any
benefits provided under Articles VI and IX of the Illinois
Public Aid Code for military veterans and their families.
(l) The county or multi-county Veterans Assistance
Commission shall represent veterans in their application for
or attempts to obtain benefits and services through State and
federal agencies, including representing veterans in their
appeals of adverse decisions.
(m) The superintendent of the county or multi-county
Veterans Assistance Commission and its employees must comply
with the procedures and regulations adopted by the county or
multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission and the
regulations of the Department of Human Services.
(n) To further the intent of this Act of assisting
military veterans, this Act is to be construed so that the
county or multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission shall
provide needed services to eligible veterans.
(Source: P.A. 102-484, eff. 8-20-21; 102-732, eff. 1-1-23;
102-1132, eff. 2-10-23.)

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(330 ILCS 45/10) (from Ch. 23, par. 3090)
Sec. 10. Superintendents and counties.
(a) The executive powers of the county or multi-county
Veterans Assistance Commission shall be vested in a
superintendent selected or appointed by a vote from a majority
of the full Commission membership and who shall have received
an honorable discharge from the armed forces of the United
States.
(b) Superintendent vacancies shall be filled, whether
long-term or temporarily, at the next regularly scheduled full
Commission meeting or within 30 days at a specially convened
meeting, whichever comes sooner, and shall be selected by a
vote from a majority of the full Commission membership.
(c) Any individual who may be tasked with assuming the
duties of or may be vested with the executive powers of a
superintendent, whether as acting or interim superintendent,
must be selected or appointed by a vote from a majority of the
full Commission membership and must have received an honorable
discharge from the armed forces of the United States.
(d) The designated superintendent of a county the Veterans
Assistance Commission of the county shall, under the direction
of the Commission, have charge of and maintain an office in the
county building or a central location within the county, to be
used solely by the Commission for providing the just,
necessary, and needed services mandated by law. The designated

HB1352 - 29 - LRB104 06044 KTG 16077 b
superintendent of a multi-county Veterans Assistance
Commission shall, under the direction of the Commission, have
charge of and maintain an office as set forth in the agreement
establishing the Commission as provided in subsection (a-1) of
Section 9.
(e) The county or member counties served by a Commission
shall provide for the funding of the office and provide all
necessary furnishings, supplies, and services as passed by the
county board or the county boards of the respective member
counties in its or their annual appropriation, and the county
or member counties shall provide or fund services, including,
but not limited to, human resources and payroll support;
information technology services and equipment; telephone
services and equipment; printing services and equipment;
postage costs; and liability insurance. Any litigation or
legal settlement that has a financial impact to the county or
one of the member counties is subject to the approval of the
respective county board.
(f) The county or member counties served by a Commission
shall also provide to the employees of the Commission all
benefits available to county employees, including, but not
limited to, benefits offered through the Illinois Municipal
Retirement Fund or any other applicable county retirement
fund; health, life, and dental insurance; and workers
compensation insurance. Employer contributions and costs for
these benefits, services, and coverages may come from

HB1352 - 30 - LRB104 06044 KTG 16077 b
Commission funds. Counties not currently providing benefits to
Commission employees must comply with this subsection within
90 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
102nd General Assembly.
(g) The county board shall, in any county where a county or
multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission is organized or
maintained, in addition to sums appropriated for these just,
necessary, and needed services as provided by law and approved
by the Commission under this Act, appropriate such additional
sums, upon recommendation of the county or multi-county
Veterans Assistance Commission, to properly compensate, in
accordance with the requirements of subsections subsection (g)
and (g-5) of Section 9 and subsection (e) of this Section, the
officers and employees required to administer such assistance.
The county board shall also provide funds to the Commission to
reimburse the superintendent, officers, delegates and
employees for certain expenses which are approved by the
Commission. The superintendent and other employees shall be
employees of the county or multi-county Veterans Assistance
Commission, and no provision in this Section or elsewhere in
this Act shall be construed to mean that they are employees of
the county or any member county.
(h) Superintendents, subject to rules formulated by the
Commission, shall select, as far as possible, Veteran Service
Officers and other employees from among military veterans,
including those who have served or may still be serving as

HB1352 - 31 - LRB104 06044 KTG 16077 b
members of the Illinois National Guard or a reserve component
of the armed forces of the United States, who did not receive a
bad conduct or dishonorable discharge or other equivalent
discharge thereof, or their spouses, surviving spouses, or
children. Employees of the Commission shall be at-will
employees.
(i) In a county with less than 2,000,000 inhabitants, the
superintendent may, in conformance with subsection (f) of
Section 3-9005 of the Counties Code, request from the State's
Attorney serving the county in which the county or
multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission is located or
maintained, an opinion upon any question of law relating to a
matter in which the county or multi-county Veterans Assistance
Commission may be concerned. With regard to matters involving
Section 8 or 9 or subsection (a), (b), or (c) of Section 10,
the State's Attorney shall confer with the Office of the
Attorney General before rendering an opinion.
(j) Superintendents of all counties subject to this Act,
when required by the Commission, shall give bond in the sum of
$2,000 for the faithful performance of their duties.
(k) All persons selected or appointed to fill positions
provided for in this Section shall be exempt from the
operation and provisions of any civil service act or laws of
this State, and the secretary of the Commission shall be
appointed by the superintendent.
(Source: P.A. 102-56, eff. 7-9-21; 102-732, eff. 1-1-23;

HB1352 - 32 - LRB104 06044 KTG 16077 b
102-1132, eff. 2-10-23.)
Section 20. The Drug Court Treatment Act is amended by
changing Section 30 as follows:
(730 ILCS 166/30)
Sec. 30. Mental health and substance use disorder
treatment.
(a) The drug court program shall maintain a network of
substance use disorder treatment programs representing a
continuum of graduated substance use disorder treatment
options commensurate with the needs of the participant.
(b) Any substance use disorder treatment program to which
participants are referred must hold a valid license from the
Department of Human Services Division of Substance Use
Prevention and Recovery, use evidence-based treatment, and
deliver all services in accordance with 77 Ill. Adm. Code
2060, including services available through the United States
Department of Veterans Affairs, the Illinois Department of
Veterans' Affairs, a county or multi-county or Veterans
Assistance Commission, or an equivalent standard in any other
state where treatment may take place.
(c) The drug court program may, at its discretion, employ
additional services or interventions, as it deems necessary on
a case by case basis.
(d) The drug court program may maintain or collaborate

HB1352 - 33 - LRB104 06044 KTG 16077 b
with a network of mental health treatment programs
representing a continuum of treatment options commensurate
with the needs of the participant and available resources,
including programs with the State and community-based programs
supported and sanctioned by the State. Partnerships with
providers certified as mental health or behavioral health
centers shall be prioritized when possible.
(Source: P.A. 102-1041, eff. 6-2-22.)
Section 25. The Veterans and Servicemembers Court
Treatment Act is amended by changing Section 10 as follows:
(730 ILCS 167/10)
Sec. 10. Definitions. In this Act:
"Certification" means the process by which a
problem-solving court obtains approval from the Supreme Court
to operate in accordance with the Problem-Solving Court
Standards.
"Clinical treatment plan" means an evidence-based,
comprehensive, and individualized plan that: (i) is developed
by a qualified professional in accordance with the Department
of Human Services substance use prevention and recovery rules
under 77 Ill. Adm. Code 2060 or an equivalent standard in any
state where treatment may take place; and (ii) defines the
scope of treatment services to be delivered by a court
treatment provider.

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"Combination Veterans and Servicemembers court program"
means a type of problem-solving court that allows an
individual to enter a problem-solving court before a plea,
conviction, or disposition while also permitting an individual
who has admitted guilt, or been found guilty, to enter a
problem-solving court as a part of the individual's sentence
or disposition.
"Community behavioral health center" means a physical site
where behavioral healthcare services are provided in
accordance with the Community Behavioral Health Center
Infrastructure Act.
"Community mental health center" means an entity:
(1) licensed by the Department of Public Health as a
community mental health center in accordance with the
conditions of participation for community mental health
centers established by the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services; and
(2) that provides outpatient services, including
specialized outpatient services, for individuals who are
chronically mental ill.
"Co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders
court program" means a program that includes an individual
with co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorder
diagnoses and professionals with training and experience in
treating individuals with diagnoses of substance use disorder
and mental illness.

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"Court" means veterans and servicemembers court.
"IDVA" means the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs.
"Peer recovery coach" means a veteran mentor as defined
nationally by Justice for Vets and assigned to a veteran or
servicemember during participation in a veteran treatment
court program who has been approved by the court, and trained
according to curriculum recommended by Justice for Vets, a
service provider used by the court for substance use disorder
or mental health treatment, a local service provider with an
established peer recovery coach or mentor program not
otherwise used by the court for treatment, or a Certified
Recovery Support Specialist certified by the Illinois
Certification Board. "Peer recovery coach" includes
individuals with lived experiences of the issues the
problem-solving court seeks to address, including, but not
limited to, substance use disorder, mental illness, and
co-occurring disorders or involvement with the criminal
justice system. "Peer recovery coach" includes individuals
required to guide and mentor the participant to successfully
complete assigned requirements and to facilitate participants'
independence for continued success once the supports of the
court are no longer available to them.
"Post-adjudicatory veterans and servicemembers court
program" means a program that allows a defendant who has
admitted guilt or has been found guilty and agrees, with the
defendant's consent, and the approval of the court, to enter a

HB1352 - 36 - LRB104 06044 KTG 16077 b
veterans and servicemembers court program as part of the
defendant's sentence or disposition.
"Pre-adjudicatory veterans and servicemembers court
program" means a program that allows the defendant, with the
defendant's consent and the approval of the court, to enter
the Veterans and Servicemembers Court program before plea,
conviction, or disposition and requires successful completion
of the Veterans and Servicemembers Court programs as part of
the agreement.
"Problem-Solving Court Standards" means the statewide
standards adopted by the Supreme Court that set forth the
minimum requirements for the planning, establishment,
certification, operation, and evaluation of all
problem-solving courts in this State.
"Servicemember" means a person who is currently serving in
the Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, or Coast Guard on active
duty, reserve status or in the National Guard.
"VA" means the United States Department of Veterans'
Affairs.
"VAC" means a county veterans assistance commission or a
multi-county veterans assistance commission as provided in
Section 9 of the Military Veterans Assistance Act.
"Validated clinical assessment" means a validated
assessment tool administered by a qualified clinician to
determine the treatment needs of participants. "Validated
clinical assessment" includes assessment tools required by

HB1352 - 37 - LRB104 06044 KTG 16077 b
public or private insurance.
"Veteran" means a person who previously served as an
active servicemember.
"Veterans and servicemembers court professional" means a
member of the veterans and servicemembers court team,
including, but not limited to, a judge, prosecutor, defense
attorney, probation officer, coordinator, treatment provider.
"Veterans and servicemembers court", "veterans and
servicemembers court program", "court", or "program" means a
specially designated court, court calendar, or docket
facilitating intensive therapeutic treatment to monitor and
assist veteran or servicemember participants with substance
use disorder, mental illness, co-occurring disorders, or other
assessed treatment needs of eligible veteran and servicemember
participants and in making positive lifestyle changes and
reducing the rate of recidivism. Veterans and servicemembers
court programs are nonadversarial in nature and bring together
substance use disorder professionals, mental health
professionals, VA professionals, local social programs, and
intensive judicial monitoring in accordance with the
nationally recommended 10 key components of veterans treatment
courts and the Problem-Solving Court Standards. Common
features of a veterans and servicemembers court program
include, but are not limited to, a designated judge and staff;
specialized intake and screening procedures; coordinated
treatment procedures administered by a trained,

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multidisciplinary professional team; close evaluation of
participants, including continued assessments and modification
of the court requirements and use of sanctions, incentives,
and therapeutic adjustments to address behavior; frequent
judicial interaction with participants; less formal court
process and procedures; voluntary participation; and a low
treatment staff-to-client ratio.
(Source: P.A. 102-1041, eff. 6-2-22.)
Section 30. The Mental Health Court Treatment Act is
amended by changing Section 30 as follows:
(730 ILCS 168/30)
Sec. 30. Mental health and substance use disorder
treatment.
(a) The mental health court program may maintain or
collaborate with a network of mental health treatment programs
and, if it is a co-occurring mental health and substance use
disorders court program, a network of substance use disorder
treatment programs representing a continuum of treatment
options commensurate with the needs of participants and
available resources.
(b) Any substance use disorder treatment program to which
participants are referred must hold a valid license from the
Department of Human Services Division of Substance Use
Prevention and Recovery, use evidence-based treatment, and

HB1352 - 39 - LRB104 06044 KTG 16077 b
deliver all services in accordance with 77 Ill. Adm. Code
2060, including services available through the United States
Department of Veterans Affairs, the Illinois Department of
Veterans Affairs, or a county or multi-county the Veterans
Assistance Commission, or an equivalent standard in any other
state where treatment may take place.
(c) The mental health court program may, at its
discretion, employ additional services or interventions, as it
deems necessary on a case by case basis.
(Source: P.A. 102-1041, eff. 6-2-22.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.
HB1352 - 40 - LRB104 06044 KTG 16077 b
INDEX
Statutes amended in order of appearance