Bill Text: IL HB2656 | 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 an educational success program for veterans experiencing specified difficulties in higher education; a family preparation course for the families of returning 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: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2019-01-08 - Session Sine Die [HB2656 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2017-HB2656-Introduced.html

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100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2017 and 2018 HB2656 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 an educational success program for veterans experiencing specified difficulties in higher education; a family preparation course for the families of returning 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 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

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health issues that prevent them from succeeding.
(2) 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.
(3) 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.
(4) 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.
(5) 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

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support employees that are veterans.
(6) The Department, in collaboration with veterans'
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.