Bill Text: IL HB4121 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Amends the Department of Veterans' Affairs Act. Makes changes to the composition of the Illinois Joining Forces Foundation Board. Provides that the Department of Veterans' Affairs, in consultation with the Department of Military Affairs, may propose (rather than adopt) other rules deemed necessary to govern Foundation procedures. Provides that the Foundation must provide notice (rather than written notice) to any entity providing a gift, grant, donation, or bequest to the Foundation that the Foundation is not subject to the provisions of the Public Funds Investment Act. Provides that if the Foundation's funds exceed $1,000,000 in any year (currently, there is no threshold amount), then it shall be subject to specified audits under the Illinois State Auditing Act. Provides that if the Foundation is funded below $1,000,000 annually, then the Foundation shall be exempt from the Illinois State Auditing Act. Provides that the Illinois Joining Forces Foundation shall be exempt from the Open Meetings Act so long as the Foundation does not receive funds from the State of Illinois. Provides that if the Foundation receive grants or funds from the State, then compliance with the Open Meetings Act shall be compulsory. Deletes provisions providing that the Foundation is not eligible for any grant administered or funded by the Department of Veterans' Affairs or the Department of Military Affairs. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2019-01-08 - Session Sine Die [HB4121 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2017-HB4121-Introduced.html


100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
HB4121

Introduced , by Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
20 ILCS 2805/37

Amends the Department of Veterans' Affairs Act. Makes changes to the composition of the Illinois Joining Forces Foundation Board. Provides that the Department of Veterans' Affairs, in consultation with the Department of Military Affairs, may propose (rather than adopt) other rules deemed necessary to govern Foundation procedures. Provides that the Foundation must provide notice (rather than written notice) to any entity providing a gift, grant, donation, or bequest to the Foundation that the Foundation is not subject to the provisions of the Public Funds Investment Act. Provides that if the Foundation's funds exceed $1,000,000 in any year (currently, there is no threshold amount), then it shall be subject to specified audits under the Illinois State Auditing Act. Provides that if the Foundation is funded below $1,000,000 annually, then the Foundation shall be exempt from the Illinois State Auditing Act. Provides that the Illinois Joining Forces Foundation shall be exempt from the Open Meetings Act so long as the Foundation does not receive funds from the State of Illinois. Provides that if the Foundation receive grants or funds from the State, then compliance with the Open Meetings Act shall be compulsory. Deletes provisions providing that the Foundation is not eligible for any grant administered or funded by the Department of Veterans' Affairs or the Department of Military Affairs. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
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A BILL FOR

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1 AN ACT concerning State government.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Department of Veterans' Affairs Act is
5amended by changing Section 37 as follows:
6 (20 ILCS 2805/37)
7 Sec. 37. Illinois Joining Forces Foundation.
8 (a) The General Assembly finds that navigating the "sea of
9goodwill" for those who serve in uniform is one of the greatest
10challenges that transitioning veterans face; as a result, they
11risk being unable to access many of the federal, State, and
12non-profit resources available to them. Recognizing this
13problem, the Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Department
14of Military Affairs acted to establish the Illinois Joining
15Forces initiative, a public-private network of military and
16veteran-serving organizations that are working together, in
17person and online, to create a no-wrong-door system of support
18for the State's military and veteran communities. Illinois
19Joining Forces is a nation-leading model, awarded by the U.S.
20Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Association of
21State Directors of Veterans Affairs for its groundbreaking work
22in creating smarter, collaborative community support for those
23in uniform, past and present. The foundation created by Public

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1Act 98-986 this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly
2will serve to ensure the long-term sustainability of Illinois
3Joining Forces, which is critically important for the support
4of the State's military and veteran communities.
5 (b) The Illinois Joining Forces Foundation shall benefit
6service members, veterans, and their families by:
7 (1) convening military and veteran support
8 organizations, through Illinois Joining Forces working
9 groups, to build cross-sector relationships and mutual
10 awareness;
11 (2) providing policy recommendations through Illinois
12 Joining Forces member working groups to the Illinois
13 Veterans' Advisory Council;
14 (3) facilitating the transfer of information and
15 knowledge among Illinois Joining Forces member
16 organizations;
17 (4) maintaining and continuing to build the
18 no-wrong-door online navigation platform;
19 (5) educating Illinois Joining Forces members and
20 other community providers regarding military and veteran
21 culture and needs, thus improving the collective capacity
22 of the support system; and
23 (6) outreaching directly to service members, veterans,
24 and their families regarding the no-wrong-door system that
25 Illinois Joining Forces provides to them.
26 (c) For the purpose of this Section, "veterans service

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1organization" means an organization that meets all of the
2following criteria:
3 (1) The organization is formed by and for United States
4 military veterans.
5 (2) The organization is chartered by the United States
6 Congress and incorporated in the State of Illinois.
7 (3) The organization has maintained a State
8 headquarters office in Illinois for the 10-year period
9 immediately preceding August 18, 2014 (the effective date
10 of Public Act 98-986) this amendatory Act of the 98th
11 General Assembly.
12 (4) The organization maintains at least one office in
13 this State, staffed by a veterans service officer.
14 (5) The organization is capable of preparing a power of
15 attorney for a veteran and processing claims for veterans
16 services.
17 (6) The organization is not funded by the State of
18 Illinois or by any county in this State.
19 (d) The General Assembly authorizes the Department of
20Veterans' Affairs, in accordance with Section 10 of the State
21Agency Entity Creation Act, to create the Illinois Joining
22Forces Foundation as a not-for-profit foundation. The
23Department shall file articles of incorporation as required
24under the General Not For Profit Corporation Act of 1986 to
25create the Foundation. The Foundation's Board shall be
26organized in accordance with the bylaws of the Foundation. The

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1Foundation bylaws shall, at a minimum, specify of Directors
2nominated shall be appointed as follows:
3 (1) one member nominated appointed by the Governor;
4 (2) one member nominated appointed by the President of
5 the Senate;
6 (3) one member nominated appointed by the Minority
7 Leader of the Senate;
8 (4) one member nominated appointed by the Speaker of
9 the House of Representatives;
10 (5) one member nominated appointed by the Minority
11 Leader of the House of Representatives;
12 (6) the Director of Veterans' Affairs;
13 (7) the Director of Military Affairs or his or her
14 designee who is a senior management official of the
15 Department of Military Affairs with the authority to make
16 decisions on behalf of the Department of Military Affairs;
17 (8) seven members nominated by the Illinois Joining
18 Forces working groups; and
19 (9) seven members nominated by the Illinois Joining
20 Forces Funders Committee. all of the members of the
21 Illinois Joining Forces Executive Committee, who shall be
22 appointed by the Director of Veterans' Affairs.
23In addition to any veterans service organization otherwise
24represented on the Board of Directors, a veterans service
25organization may designate in writing an ex officio, non-voting
26participant to the Board of Directors. Any veterans service

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1organization appointee under this Section does not count
2towards a quorum. The Director of Veterans' Affairs and a
3designee chosen by the Director of Military Affairs who is a
4senior management official of the Department of Military
5Affairs with the authority to make decisions on behalf of the
6agency shall serve as members of the Foundation's Board of
7Directors. Board of Director appointments shall be for 2-year
8terms. Vacancies shall be filled by the official who made the
9recommendation for the vacated appointment. No member of the
10Board of Directors may receive compensation for his or her
11services to the Foundation. Upon appointment, the Board of
12Directors, as members of a public entity, shall be represented
13and indemnified pursuant to the requirements of the State
14Employee Indemnification Act.
15 (e) The purposes of the Foundation are to: promote,
16support, assist, and sustain Illinois Joining Forces
17operations; solicit and accept grants and private donations and
18disburse them for the stated intent of the Foundation or the
19private donor; solicit and generate public and private funding
20and donations that assist in enhancing the Illinois Joining
21Forces mission, services, programs, and operations; and engage
22generally in other lawful endeavors consistent with the
23foregoing purposes. The foundation shall operate within the
24provisions of the General Not For Profit Corporation Act of
251986.
26 Employees or specified agents of the Illinois Joining

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1Forces Foundation shall be represented and indemnified
2pursuant to the requirements of the State Employee
3Indemnification Act.
4 (f) As soon as practicable after the Foundation is created,
5the Board of Directors shall meet, organize, and designate, by
6majority vote, a chairperson, a treasurer, a secretary, and any
7additional officers that may be needed to carry out the
8activities of the Foundation and shall adopt bylaws of the
9Foundation.
10 (g) The Department of Veterans' Affairs, in consultation
11with the Department of Military Affairs, may propose adopt
12other rules deemed necessary to govern Foundation procedures.
13 (h) (g) The Foundation may request and accept gifts,
14grants, donations, or bequests from the federal government or
15its agencies or officers or from any person, firm, or
16corporation, and may expend receipts on activities that it
17considers suitable to the performance of its duties under this
18Section and consistent with any requirement of the grant, gift,
19donation, or bequest.
20 Funds collected by the Foundation shall be considered
21private funds and shall be held in an appropriate account
22outside of the State treasury.
23 Private funds collected by the Foundation are not subject
24to the Public Funds Investment Act.
25 The Foundation must provide notice to any entity providing
26a gift, grant, donation, or bequest to the Foundation that the

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1Foundation is not subject to the provisions of the Public Funds
2Investment Act, which Act places limitations on the types of
3securities in which a public agency may invest public funds.
4 (i) The treasurer of the Foundation shall be the custodian
5of all Foundation funds and . The treasurer shall be required
6to obtain a fidelity or surety bond on satisfactory terms and
7in sufficient amounts to protect the interests of the
8Foundation, the cost of which shall be reimbursed by the
9Foundation.
10 (j) The Foundation and its officers shall be responsible
11for the approval of the recording of receipts, approval of
12payments, and the proper filing of required reports.
13 (k) The Foundation may be assisted in carrying out its
14functions by Department of Military Affairs and Department of
15Veterans' Affairs personnel. The Department of Military
16Affairs and the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall provide
17reasonable assistance to the Foundation to achieve the purposes
18of the Foundation as determined by the respective Directors.
19 (l) The Foundation shall cooperate fully with the boards,
20commissions, agencies, departments, and institutions of the
21State.
22 (m) If The funds held and made available by the Illinois
23Joining Forces Foundation Foundation's funds exceed $1,000,000
24in any year, then the Foundation shall be subject to financial
25and compliance audits in accordance with the Illinois State
26Auditing Act. If the Illinois Joining Forces Foundation is

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1funded below $1,000,000 annually, then the Foundation shall be
2exempt from the Illinois State Auditing Act.
3 (n) The Illinois Joining Forces Foundation shall be exempt
4from the Open Meetings Act so long as the Foundation does not
5receive funds from the State of Illinois. If the Illinois
6Joining Forces Foundation receives grants or funds from the
7State of Illinois, then compliance with the Open Meetings Act
8shall be compulsory.
9 (o) The Foundation shall not have any power of eminent
10domain.
11 (p) The Foundation shall not construct or make any
12permanent improvements to any real property.
13 (h) The Foundation must provide a written notice to any
14entity providing a gift, grant, donation, or bequest to the
15Foundation that the Foundation is not subject to the provisions
16of the Public Funds Investment Act, which Act places
17limitations on the types of securities in which a public agency
18may invest public funds.
19 (i) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the Foundation
20is not eligible for any grant administered or funded by the
21Department of Veterans' Affairs or the Department of Military
22Affairs.
23(Source: P.A. 100-10, eff. 6-30-17.)
24 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
25becoming law.
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