Prairie State Wire

HB2369, which amends the Illinois Military Veterans Assistance Act has passed both Houses with Senate Amendment 1.

This Bill is far-reaching and corrects many mistakes made or unforeseen in last fall’s amendment, and fixes most of the issues we have been addressing for the past 8 or 9 months in county Veterans Assistance Commissions.

In the Bill:

• Delegates and Alternates each have full voting rights
• Prohibits any commission or committee from prohibiting any delegate or alternate from attending a closed meeting
• Delegates and Alternates are subject to the Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act
• Superintendent is an at-will employee
• Nothing can be voted on except by the full commission
• No committee or subsidiary body (like an Executive Board) can be granted any power or authority to act in place of or on behalf of the full commission
• Redefines “Veteran Service Organization”
• VACs must adopt Ordinances of their respective counties pertaining to purchasing and bidding, ethics, and budget among others
• Employees must be given the same benefits as county employees of the county they are representing
• Permits the Attorney General to enforce the various provisions of the Act
• Restricts Home Rule provisions

It passed with a unanimous concurrence vote in the House.

We would like to thank everyone who assisted in this amendment, specifically the employees of the Will County VAC and the AG’s Office, among others, who recognized there were problems and sought out proper solutions.

It now awaits the Governor’s signature.

This story was originally published by Edgar County Watchdogs HERE.