Bill Text: IL HB2647 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Department of Veterans Affairs Act. Contains provisions concerning the establishment of various programs and services for the benefit of veterans including a proactive outreach program for veterans that served in high casualty units, in units that experienced high conflict areas, and in units where at least one service member committed suicide following his or her service; a public awareness campaign concerning the trauma and internal injuries suffered by veterans; specified training concerning mental health services for employees of veterans service organizations, Veterans Assistance Commissions, and veterans' service associations; educational success programs for veterans experiencing specified difficulties in higher education; a family preparation course for the families of returning veterans; a licensing program for therapy dogs for veterans; a transition program for returning veterans that reside in the State; a system that allows veterans to file a specified federal form immediately upon discharge; creation of an employer training program; and a standard statewide peer-to-peer training program to familiarize veterans with the veterans' services available at the local, State, and federal levels. Requires the Department of Veterans' Affairs to adopt any rules necessary to implement these provisions.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 75-10)

Status: (Passed) 2017-09-08 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 100-0482 [HB2647 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2017-HB2647-Introduced.html

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100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2017 and 2018 HB2647 Introduced , by Rep. Stephanie A. Kifowit SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
20 ILCS 2805/2h new
Amends the Department of Veterans Affairs Act. Contains provisions concerning the establishment of various programs and services for the benefit of veterans including a proactive outreach program for veterans that served in high casualty units, in units that experienced high conflict areas, and in units where at least one service member committed suicide following his or her service; a public awareness campaign concerning the trauma and internal injuries suffered by veterans; specified training concerning mental health services for employees of veterans service organizations, Veterans Assistance Commissions, and veterans' service associations; educational success programs for veterans experiencing specified difficulties in higher education; a family preparation course for the families of returning veterans; a licensing program for therapy dogs for veterans; a transition program for returning veterans that reside in the State; a system that allows veterans to file a specified federal form immediately upon discharge; creation of an employer training program; and a standard statewide peer-to-peer training program to familiarize veterans with the veterans' services available at the local, State, and federal levels. Requires the Department of Veterans' Affairs to adopt any rules necessary to implement these provisions.
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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
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 adding Section 2h as follows:
(20 ILCS 2805/2h new)
Sec. 2h. Task Force on Veterans' Suicide recommendations.
The provisions of this Section are based on the recommendations
in the final report of the Task Force on Veterans' Suicide,
published on December 30, 2016. The Department shall adopt any
rules necessary to implement this Section.
(1) The Department shall reach out to the United States
Department of Defense in order to identify veterans
returning from service in heavy casualty units, units that
experienced high conflict areas, or units where at least
one service member committed suicide following his or her
service. The Department shall establish a proactive
outreach program for veterans that served in high casualty
units, in units that experienced high conflict areas, and
in units where at least one service member committed
suicide following his or her service.
(2) The Department or the Department in collaboration
with not-for-profit organizations shall engage in a public

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awareness campaign concerning the trauma and internal
injuries suffered by veterans in order to promote
understanding and acceptance from the general public. The
public awareness campaign shall work to dispel the myths
associated with grieving, suicide, and mental health
healing. The Department shall evaluate existing programs,
including, but not limited to, the Suicide Prevention
Alliance under the Suicide Prevention, Education, and
Treatment Act, and coordinate messaging using messaging
guidelines that existing programs have found to be
successful.
(3) The Department shall provide training to frontline
employees at veterans service organizations established
under this Act on mental health services to identify
veterans who might be at risk of suicidal thoughts. This
training may include, but not be limited to, mental health
first aid training and amplified suicide advanced training
programs. The Department shall provide assistance to
Veterans Assistance Commissions established under Section
9 of the Military Veterans Assistance Act and veterans'
service associations, including, but not limited to, the
American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and AMVETS, in
providing the training under this paragraph to the
employees of the Veterans Assistance Commissions and
veterans' service associations.
The Department shall find combat veterans to serve as

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veteran service officers at veterans service organizations
established under this Act for the purpose of having
veteran services officers who are able to properly relate
to fellow combat veterans.
(4) The Department shall collaborate with institutions
of higher education to address environmental factors that
could negatively impact a veteran's ability to learn in a
traditional classroom setting. Such factors include, but
are not limited to, expanding veterans' access to online
learning; desk placement away from windows, crowded
hallways, or orientation; grouping veterans together in a
class; and veterans' only instructional periods. The
Department, in coordination with institutions of higher
education, shall provide proactive outreach as part of an
educational success program for veterans experiencing
difficulties in higher education due to undiagnosed mental
health issues that prevent them from succeeding.
(5) The Department shall provide a family preparation
course concerning the emotional cycle of deployment that is
designed to help a family unit adjust to changes in
discharged and returning veterans and inform the family
members of where to go to seek assistance. This course
shall be made available to the family of a veteran prior to
the discharge and homecoming of the veteran.
(6) The Department shall develop a licensing program
for therapy dogs, with a possible extension to other

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therapy animals, for veterans. The Department shall
develop standards for the training and identification of
therapy dogs for veterans. The designation of therapy dog
under this paragraph shall not qualify the dog to be a
service animal as provided under any other Act in this
State.
(7) The Department shall reach out to the United States
Department of Defense to obtain information on returning
veterans and develop a transition program for returning
veterans that reside in the State. The program developed
under this paragraph shall include a veteran-to-veteran
connection program and information on local organizations
that provide resources or services for veterans that a
veteran can access.
(8) The Department shall reach out to the United States
Department of Defense in order to develop a system that
allows veterans to file a federal DD Form 214 immediately
upon discharge.
(9) The Department shall collaborate with chambers of
commerce in the State to create an employer training
program that focuses on the needs of employees that are
veterans. The Department shall develop a program that
identifies companies that are trained on the circumstances
that are unique to veterans seeking employment and that
support employees that are veterans.
(10) The Department, in collaboration with veterans'

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organizations in the State, shall establish a standard
statewide peer-to-peer training program to familiarize
veterans with the veterans' services available at the
local, State, and federal levels.