Amends the Military Veterans Assistance Act. Expands the Act to allow for the formation of multi-county Veterans Assistance Commissions. Provides that veteran service organizations located in 2 or more adjacent counties having a population of 60,000 or less may enter into an agreement to come together and jointly form a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission to serve the adjacent counties in accordance with the Act. Provides that a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission may also be formed under an agreement between an existing county Veterans Assistance Commission and a veteran service organization located in an adjacent county that is without a veterans assistance commission and has a population of 60,000 or less. Requires an agreement to form and maintain a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission to set forth: (i) the distribution of funding with respect to each member county; (ii) the location of the Commission's office; (iii) the type of services provided; (iv) the superintendent selection or appointment process; (v) Commission rules and policies; and (vi) the composition of delegates and alternates on the Commission. Provides that multi-county Veterans Assistance Commissions shall have the same powers and duties under the Act as Veterans Assistance Commissions that serve one county. Makes corresponding changes in the Counties Code, the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Drug Court Treatment Act, the Veterans and Servicemembers Court Treatment Act, and the Mental Health Court Treatment Act. Effective immediately.
Senate Committee Amendment No. 1: Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Military Veterans Assistance Act. Provides that in counties that do not have a Veterans Assistance Commission prior to January 1, 2026, and in which there exists a judicial circuit whose jurisdictional boundaries include multiple counties, veteran service organizations located within any of those counties that are within the judicial circuit's jurisdictional boundaries may come together and create a Jurisdictional Veterans Assistance Commission that shall provide services to veterans and their families who reside in those participating counties. Contains provisions concerning the use of tax proceeds to hire Commission staff; the selection process for Commission superintendents, delegates, and alternates; mergers between existing county Veterans Assistance Commissions and jurisdictional Veterans Assistance Commissions; and other matters.
House Floor Amendment No. 1: Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Military Veterans Assistance Act. Provides that in counties that did not have a Veterans Assistance Commission prior to January 1, 2026, and in which there exists a judicial circuit whose jurisdictional boundaries include multiple counties, veteran service organizations located within any of those counties that are within the judicial circuit's jurisdictional boundaries may come together and create a Jurisdictional Veterans Assistance Commission that shall provide services to veterans and their families. Contains provisions concerning the selection process for Jurisdictional Veterans Assistance Commission superintendents, delegates, and alternates; funding for Jurisdictional Veterans Assistance Commissions; mergers between existing county Veterans Assistance Commissions and Jurisdictional Veterans Assistance Commissions; and other matters. Provides that nothing in the amendatory Act shall be interpreted to restrict any Jurisdictional Veterans Assistance Commission from providing services to veterans and their families who reside outside of those participating counties. Amends the Counties Code. Permits each county that has a population of less than 3,000,000 and that is a participant in a Jurisdictional Veterans Assistance Commission to levy a tax not to exceed .03% of the assessed value annually on all taxable property of the county for the purpose of providing assistance to military veterans and their families. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires a county that has a population of less than 3,000,000 and that is a participant in a Jurisdictional Veterans Assistance Commission to levy, within the time that such levy is authorized to be made, a tax of an amount which, when added to the unobligated balance available for such purpose at the close of the preceding fiscal year, equals .02% of the last known assessed value of the taxable property in the county. Provides that the tax shall be for the purpose of providing assistance to military veterans and their families.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 55 ILCS 5/3, 55 ILCS 5/5, 305 ILCS 5/12, 330 ILCS 45/1, 330 ILCS 45/2, 330 ILCS 45/4, 330 ILCS 45/5, 330 ILCS 45/8, 330 ILCS 45/9, 330 ILCS 45/10, 730 ILCS 166/30, 730 ILCS 167/10, 730 ILCS 168/30
Engrossed: 330 ILCS 45/9