Bill Text: IL HJR0075 | 2013-2014 | 98th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Encourages the creation of Veterans and Servicemembers Treatment Courts in all counties in the State of Illinois.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 5-0)
Status: (Failed) 2014-12-03 - Session Sine Die [HJR0075 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2013-HJR0075-Introduced.html
| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
| ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, On June 12, 2010, Governor Pat Quinn signed the | ||||||
| 3 | Veterans and Servicemembers Court Treatment Act into law; the | ||||||
| 4 | Act allows counties in Illinois to create a Veterans and | ||||||
| 5 | Servicemembers Court Program or Veterans' Treatment Courts for | ||||||
| 6 | military veterans charged with non-violent crimes; and
| ||||||
| 7 | WHEREAS, Currently, Cook, DuPage, Lake, Madison, Peoria, | ||||||
| 8 | Will, Winnebago, and several other counties have Veterans' | ||||||
| 9 | Treatment Courts to assist veterans with substance abuse and | ||||||
| 10 | other related problems; and
| ||||||
| 11 | WHEREAS, Many returning veterans suffer from | ||||||
| 12 | Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, traumatic brain injuries, | ||||||
| 13 | substance abuse, and other service-related disabilities; and
| ||||||
| 14 | WHEREAS, Veterans' Treatment Courts are used as an | ||||||
| 15 | alternative venue to the regular criminal justice system for | ||||||
| 16 | non-violent criminal offenses; the courts connect veterans | ||||||
| 17 | with specialized treatment and counseling programs to assist | ||||||
| 18 | them with transitioning to life after their military service; | ||||||
| 19 | and
| ||||||
| 20 | WHEREAS, Veterans' Treatment Courts require regular court | ||||||
| 21 | appearances in addition to mandatory attendance at treatment | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | sessions for substance abuse as well as random testing for | ||||||
| 2 | substance use; and
| ||||||
| 3 | WHEREAS, Upon successful completion of the program, the | ||||||
| 4 | charges against the veteran may be dismissed; and
| ||||||
| 5 | WHEREAS, Veterans' Treatment Courts are in a unique | ||||||
| 6 | position to link veterans with additional services and | ||||||
| 7 | resources available to them; therefore, be it
| ||||||
| 8 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
| 9 | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | ||||||
| 10 | SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we encourage the creation of | ||||||
| 11 | Veterans and Servicemembers Treatment Courts in all counties in | ||||||
| 12 | the State of Illinois; and be it further
| ||||||
| 13 | RESOLVED, That we urge counties that currently have | ||||||
| 14 | successful programs to work with other counties to help create | ||||||
| 15 | successful programs and provide assistance in implementation | ||||||
| 16 | to better serve our veterans in every county; and be it further
| ||||||
| 17 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
| 18 | presented to the County Board Chair or President of all 102 | ||||||
| 19 | Illinois counties.
| ||||||
