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| | HB2647 Engrossed | | LRB100 08180 MJP 18276 b |
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| 1 | | AN ACT concerning State government.
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| 2 | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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| 3 | | represented in the General Assembly:
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| 4 | | Section 5. The Department of Veterans Affairs Act is |
| 5 | | amended by adding Section 2h as follows:
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| 6 | | (20 ILCS 2805/2h new) |
| 7 | | Sec. 2h. Task Force on Veterans' Suicide recommendations. |
| 8 | | The provisions of this Section are based on the recommendations |
| 9 | | in the final report of the Task Force on Veterans' Suicide, |
| 10 | | published on December 1, 2016. The Department shall adopt any |
| 11 | | rules necessary to implement this Section. The Department shall |
| 12 | | seek available federal funding, grants, or private funding to |
| 13 | | help fund the requirements of this Section; or the Department |
| 14 | | shall collaborate with other departments, existing veterans' |
| 15 | | organizations, nonprofit organizations, or private |
| 16 | | organizations to implement the requirements of this Section. |
| 17 | | (1) The Department shall reach out to the United States |
| 18 | | Department of Defense in order to identify veterans |
| 19 | | returning from service in heavy casualty units, units that |
| 20 | | experienced high conflict areas, or units where at least |
| 21 | | one service member committed suicide following his or her |
| 22 | | service. The Department shall establish a proactive |
| 23 | | outreach program for veterans that served in high casualty |
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| 1 | | units, in units that experienced high conflict areas, and |
| 2 | | in units where at least one service member committed |
| 3 | | suicide following his or her service. |
| 4 | | (2) The Department or the Department in collaboration |
| 5 | | with not-for-profit organizations shall engage in a public |
| 6 | | awareness campaign concerning the trauma and internal |
| 7 | | injuries suffered by veterans in order to promote |
| 8 | | understanding and acceptance from the general public. The |
| 9 | | public awareness campaign shall work to dispel the myths |
| 10 | | associated with grieving, suicide, and mental health |
| 11 | | healing. The Department shall evaluate existing programs, |
| 12 | | including, but not limited to, the Suicide Prevention |
| 13 | | Alliance under the Suicide Prevention, Education, and |
| 14 | | Treatment Act, and coordinate messaging using messaging |
| 15 | | guidelines that existing programs have found to be |
| 16 | | successful. |
| 17 | | (3) The Department shall provide training to frontline |
| 18 | | employees at veterans service organizations established |
| 19 | | under this Act on mental health services to identify |
| 20 | | veterans who might be at risk of suicidal thoughts. This |
| 21 | | training may include, but not be limited to, mental health |
| 22 | | first aid training and amplified suicide advanced training |
| 23 | | programs. The Department shall provide assistance to |
| 24 | | Veterans Assistance Commissions established under Section |
| 25 | | 9 of the Military Veterans Assistance Act and veterans' |
| 26 | | service associations, including, but not limited to, the |
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| | HB2647 Engrossed | - 3 - | LRB100 08180 MJP 18276 b |
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| 1 | | American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and AMVETS, in |
| 2 | | providing the training under this paragraph to the |
| 3 | | employees of the Veterans Assistance Commissions and |
| 4 | | veterans' service associations. |
| 5 | | The Department shall hire combat veterans to serve as |
| 6 | | veteran service officers at veterans service organizations |
| 7 | | established under this Act for the purpose of having |
| 8 | | veteran services officers who are able to properly relate |
| 9 | | to fellow combat veterans. |
| 10 | | (4) The Department shall collaborate with institutions |
| 11 | | of higher education to address environmental factors that |
| 12 | | could negatively impact a veteran's ability to learn in a |
| 13 | | traditional classroom setting. Such factors include, but |
| 14 | | are not limited to, expanding veterans' access to online |
| 15 | | learning; desk placement away from windows, crowded |
| 16 | | hallways, or orientation; grouping veterans together in a |
| 17 | | class; and veterans' only instructional periods. The |
| 18 | | Department, in coordination with institutions of higher |
| 19 | | education, shall provide proactive outreach as part of an |
| 20 | | educational success program for veterans experiencing |
| 21 | | difficulties in higher education due to undiagnosed mental |
| 22 | | health issues that prevent them from succeeding. |
| 23 | | (5) The Department shall provide a family preparation |
| 24 | | course concerning the emotional cycle of deployment that is |
| 25 | | designed to help a family unit adjust to changes in |
| 26 | | discharged and returning veterans and inform the family |
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| 1 | | members of where to go to seek assistance. This course |
| 2 | | shall be made available to the family of a veteran prior to |
| 3 | | the discharge and homecoming of the veteran. |
| 4 | | (6) The Department shall develop a licensing program |
| 5 | | for therapy dogs, with a possible extension to other |
| 6 | | therapy animals, for veterans. The Department shall |
| 7 | | develop standards for the training and identification of |
| 8 | | therapy dogs for veterans. The designation of therapy dog |
| 9 | | under this paragraph shall not qualify the dog to be a |
| 10 | | service animal as provided under any other Act in this |
| 11 | | State. |
| 12 | | (7) The Department shall reach out to the United States |
| 13 | | Department of Defense to obtain information on returning |
| 14 | | veterans and develop a transition program for returning |
| 15 | | veterans that reside in the State. The program developed |
| 16 | | under this paragraph shall include a veteran-to-veteran |
| 17 | | connection program and information on local organizations |
| 18 | | that provide resources or services for veterans that a |
| 19 | | veteran can access. |
| 20 | | (8) The Department shall reach out to the United States |
| 21 | | Department of Defense in order to develop a system that |
| 22 | | allows veterans to file a federal DD Form 214 immediately |
| 23 | | upon discharge. |
| 24 | | (9) The Department shall collaborate with chambers of |
| 25 | | commerce in the State to create an employer training |
| 26 | | program that focuses on the needs of employees that are |
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| 1 | | veterans. The Department shall develop a program that |
| 2 | | identifies companies that are trained on the circumstances |
| 3 | | that are unique to veterans seeking employment and that |
| 4 | | support employees that are veterans. |
| 5 | | (10) The Department, in collaboration with veterans' |
| 6 | | organizations in the State, shall establish a standard |
| 7 | | statewide peer-to-peer training program to familiarize |
| 8 | | veterans with the veterans' services available at the |
| 9 | | local, State, and federal levels.
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