Bill Text: IL HB3602 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Department of Veterans' Affairs Act. Provides that no veteran who otherwise meets the eligibility requirements for admission into a Veterans Home shall be denied admission on account of a prior conviction for a crime of violence as defined in the Crime Victims Compensation Act if the veteran completed his or her sentence 20 or more years prior to applying for admission into the Veterans Home.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-18 - Referred to Rules Committee [HB3602 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB3602-Introduced.html

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB3602 Introduced , by Rep. Jackie Haas SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
20 ILCS 2805/2.01 from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 67.01
Amends the Department of Veterans' Affairs Act. Provides that no veteran who otherwise meets the eligibility requirements for admission into a Veterans Home shall be denied admission on account of a prior conviction for a crime of violence as defined in the Crime Victims Compensation Act if the veteran completed his or her sentence 20 or more years prior to applying for admission into the Veterans Home.
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A BILL FOR
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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 Section 2.01 as follows:
(20 ILCS 2805/2.01) (from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 67.01)
Sec. 2.01. Veterans Home admissions.
(a) Any honorably discharged veteran is entitled to
admission to an Illinois Veterans Home if the applicant meets
the requirements of this Section.
(b) The veteran must:
(1) have served in the armed forces of the United
States at least 1 day in World War II, the Korean Conflict,
the Viet Nam Campaign, or the Persian Gulf Conflict
between the dates recognized by the U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs or between any other present or future
dates recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs as a war period, or have served in a hostile fire
environment and has been awarded a campaign or
expeditionary medal signifying his or her service, for
purposes of eligibility for domiciliary or nursing home
care;
(2) have served and been honorably discharged or

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retired from the armed forces of the United States for a
service connected disability or injury, for purposes of
eligibility for domiciliary or nursing home care;
(3) have served as an enlisted person at least 90 days
on active duty in the armed forces of the United States,
excluding service on active duty for training purposes
only, and entered active duty before September 8, 1980,
for purposes of eligibility for domiciliary or nursing
home care;
(4) have served as an officer at least 90 days on
active duty in the armed forces of the United States,
excluding service on active duty for training purposes
only, and entered active duty before October 17, 1981, for
purposes of eligibility for domiciliary or nursing home
care;
(5) have served on active duty in the armed forces of
the United States for 24 months of continuous service or
more, excluding active duty for training purposes only,
and enlisted after September 7, 1980, for purposes of
eligibility for domiciliary or nursing home care;
(6) have served as a reservist in the armed forces of
the United States or the National Guard and the service
included being called to federal active duty, excluding
service on active duty for training purposes only, and who
completed the term, for purposes of eligibility for
domiciliary or nursing home care;

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(7) have been discharged for reasons of hardship or
released from active duty due to a reduction in the United
States armed forces prior to the completion of the
required period of service, regardless of the actual time
served, for purposes of eligibility for domiciliary or
nursing home care; or
(8) have served in the National Guard or Reserve
Forces of the United States and completed 20 years of
satisfactory service, be otherwise eligible to receive
reserve or active duty retirement benefits, and have been
an Illinois resident for at least one year before applying
for admission for purposes of eligibility for domiciliary
care only.
(c) The veteran must have service accredited to the State
of Illinois or have been a resident of this State for one year
immediately preceding the date of application.
(d) For admission to the Illinois Veterans Homes at Anna
and Quincy, the veteran must have developed a disability by
disease, wounds, or otherwise and because of the disability be
incapable of earning a living.
(e) For admission to the Illinois Veterans Homes at
Chicago, LaSalle, and Manteno, the veteran must have developed
a disability by disease, wounds, or otherwise and, for
purposes of eligibility for nursing home care, require nursing
care because of the disability.
(f) An individual who served during a time of conflict as

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set forth in paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of this Section
has preference over all other qualifying candidates, for
purposes of eligibility for domiciliary or nursing home care
at any Illinois Veterans Home.
(g) A veteran or spouse, once admitted to an Illinois
Veterans Home facility, is considered a resident for
interfacility purposes.
(h) A non-veteran spouse shall only have the same priority
for admission to a Veterans Home as a veteran if the
non-veteran spouse and his or her veteran spouse are admitted
at the same time to live together at the Veterans Home.
(i) No veteran who otherwise meets the requirements of
this Section shall be denied admission to a Veterans Homes on
account of a prior conviction for a crime of violence as
defined in Section 2 of the Crime Victims Compensation Act if
the veteran completed his or her sentence 20 or more years
prior to applying for admission into the Veterans Home.
(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15; 99-314, eff. 8-7-15;
99-642, eff. 7-28-16; 100-392, eff. 8-25-17; 100-942, eff.
1-1-19.)