VETS ASSISTANCE COMM-BUDGET

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB5085

Select Language

×

The Illinois General Assembly offers the Google Translate™ service for visitor convenience. In no way should it be considered accurate as to the translation of any content herein.

Visitors of the Illinois General Assembly website are encouraged to use other translation services available on the internet.

The English language version is always the official and authoritative version of this website.

NOTE: To return to the original English language version, select the "Show Original" button on the Google Translate™ menu bar at the top of the window.

Choose Language

English

Afrikaans

Albanian

Arabic

Armenian

Azerbaijani

Basque

Bengali

Bosnian

Catalan

Croatian

Czech

Danish

Dutch

Esperanto

Estonian

Filipino

Finnish

French

Galician

Georgian

German

Greek

Gujarati

Haitian Creole

Hausa

Hawaiian

Hebrew

Hindi

Hungarian

Icelandic

Indonesian

Interlingua

Interlingue

Inuktitut

Irish

Italian

Japanese

Javanese

Kannada

Khmer

Korean

Latin

Latvian

Lithuanian

Luxembourgish

Macedonian

Malagasy

Malayalam

Maltese

Maori

Marathi

Myanmar

Nepali

Norwegian

Odia

Pashto

Punjabi

Romanian

Russian

Samoan

Sango

Sanskrit

Sardinian

Sindhi

Sinhala

Slovak

Slovenian

Somali

Southern Sotho

Spanish

Sundanese

Swahili

Swedish

Tamil

Telugu

Thai

Tigrinya

Tonga

Turkish

Ukrainian

Urdu

Vietnamese

Welsh

Xhosa

Yiddish

Yoruba

Zulu

Powered by
Translate

Close

Illinois General Assembly

Top Navigation Bar

Translate

Learn

Select General Assembly

Search the 104th General Assembly

Enter search terms for legislation, members, committees, or schedules.

ILGA.GOV

LEGISLATION & LAWS

Bills & Resolutions

Public Acts

Illinois Compiled Statutes

Illinois Constitution

Search Legislation

Glossary

Guide

Reports & Inquiry

Legislative Reports

Special Reports

FTP Site

Legislator Lookup

Capitol Complex Phone Numbers

Rules & Regulations

Illinois Register

Administrative Rules

Senate

Members

Schedules

Committees

Request for Remote Testimony

Journals

Transcripts

Rules

Audio/Video

FOIA Information

Senate Employment Opportunities

Media Guidelines

House

Members

Schedules

Committees

Submit testimony for House Committees

Journals

Transcripts

Rules

Audio/Video

FOIA Information

House Employment Opportunities

Log In

Mobile Top Bar

Search the 104th General Assembly

Enter keywords to search the Illinois General Assembly website.

Full Text of HB5085

Home

Legislation

Full Text

HB5085 - 104th General Assembly

Bill Status

Full Text

Votes

Witness Slips

Select Menu

Bill Status

Full Text

Votes

Witness Slips

Printer Friendly Version

Introduced

Printer Friendly Version

Introduced

Open PDF

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB5085

Introduced 2/10/2026, by Rep. Natalie A. Manley

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

330 ILCS 45/9

from Ch. 23, par. 3089

Amends the Military Veterans Assistance Act. Provides that for each
fiscal year after January 1, 2027, each Veterans Assistance Commission
shall prepare a budget and publish the budget on its official website.
Provides that a public hearing on the contents of the budget shall occur
within 30 days of its publication. Provides that the budget must be
approved by the full Commission membership and by the county board of the
county where the Veterans Assistance Commission is organized. Requires
each Veterans Assistance Commission to follow the same procurement and
bidding procedures as its respective county or the largest sponsoring
government entity based on financial contribution, not population.
Provides that all Veterans Assistance Commissions are subject to the
Freedom of Information Act. Effective immediately.
LRB104 19306 KTG 32752 b

A BILL FOR

HB5085
LRB104 19306 KTG 32752 b
1

AN ACT concerning veterans.

2

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3
represented in the General Assembly:

4

Section 5.
The Military Veterans Assistance Act is amended
5
by changing Section 9 as follows:

6

(330 ILCS 45/9)

(from Ch. 23, par. 3089)
7

Sec. 9.
Veterans Assistance Commission.
8

(a) In counties having 2 or more veteran service
9
organizations as may be recognized by law, the veteran service
10
organizations may come together to form a Veterans Assistance
11
Commission of such county. The Veterans Assistance Commission
12
of such county may act as the central service office for all
13
veterans and their families and for the families of deceased
14
veterans. The Commission shall be composed of delegates and
15
alternates from a majority of such veteran service
16
organizations selected annually as determined by each veteran
17
service organization. When so organized a Commission shall be
18
clothed with all the powers and may be charged with all the
19
duties theretofore devolving upon the different veteran
20
service organizations within the county as provided in Section
21
2.
22

(1) Every January 1, all Veterans Assistance
23

Commissions shall publish a notice to each veteran service

HB5085
- 2 -
LRB104 19306 KTG 32752 b
1

organization within their respective county calling on
2

them to select delegates and alternates for that county's
3

Veterans Assistance Commission by the methods provided in
4

this subsection. The Veterans Assistance Commissions shall
5

allow each veteran service organization until March 1 to
6

respond, at which time those selected and duly appointed
7

delegates and alternates shall begin their term of office
8

with full voting rights. Once selected, delegates and
9

alternates are bound by the Public Officer Prohibited
10

Activities Act.
11

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), veteran
12

service organizations shall be permitted to select one
13

delegate and one alternate.
14

(3) In counties with 5 or more of the same veteran
15

service organizations, all the constituent veteran service
16

organizations shall be permitted to select up to 5
17

delegates and 5 alternates to represent that veteran
18

service organization instead of each constituent veteran
19

service organization selecting one delegate and one
20

alternate. For the purposes of meeting the majority
21

requirement of this subsection, when the constituent
22

groups of a veteran service organization choose to select
23

those delegates and alternates, those selected and duly
24

appointed delegates and alternates shall represent the
25

aggregate percentage of the constituent groups.
26

(4) If a veteran service organization serves more than

HB5085
- 3 -
LRB104 19306 KTG 32752 b
1

one county, then it shall be permitted to select one
2

delegate and one alternate for the Veterans Assistance
3

Commission in each county in which at least 25% of its
4

members reside.
5

(5) All undertakings of, or actions taken by, the
6

Commission shall require a vote from a majority of the
7

full commission membership. No committee or other subgroup
8

of delegates and alternates formed by the Commission,
9

whether selected or appointed, may be granted the power or
10

authority to act in the place of or on behalf of the full
11

body of the duly selected or appointed Commission
12

membership.
13

(6) No superintendent or any other employee of the
14

Veterans Assistance Commission may retain the position of
15

delegate or alternate or any voting rights while employed
16

by the Veterans Assistance Commission.
17

(7) No committee or other subgroup of delegates and
18

alternates formed by the Commission, whether selected or
19

appointed, may bar any other duly appointed Commission
20

member from attending or otherwise being present during
21

any closed meetings or sessions of that committee or
22

group.
23

(8) The county may, at its discretion, appoint a
24

representative to the Commission who may attend any public
25

meeting of the Commission. That representative shall be a
26

veteran, may not have voting rights, may not hold any

HB5085
- 4 -
LRB104 19306 KTG 32752 b
1

office or title on the Commission, and may not be present
2

during any nonpublic meeting of the Commission, except as
3

authorized in this Act. For matters of executive session,
4

the non-voting county appointee may attend meetings that
5

are closed in accordance with paragraphs (1), (3), (5),
6

(6), or (11) of subsection (c) of Section 2 of the Open
7

Meetings Act for litigation matters not relating to
8

litigation between the Commission and the County.
9

(b) The Commission and its selected or appointed
10
superintendent shall have oversight of the distribution of all
11
moneys and supplies appropriated for the benefit of military
12
veterans and their families, subject to such rules,
13
regulations, administrative procedures or audit reviews as are
14
required by this Act and as are necessary as approved by the
15
Commission to carry out the spirit and intent of this Act. No
16
warrant authorized under this Act may be issued for the
17
payment of money without the presentation of an itemized
18
statement or claim, approved by the superintendent of the
19
Commission.
20

(c) The superintendent of the Veterans Assistance
21
Commission, selected, appointed, or hired by the Commission is
22
an at-will employee who shall be answerable to, and shall
23
report to, the Commission.
24

(d) The superintendent shall be evaluated annually and a
25
written report shall be generated. A copy of the report from
26
the evaluation shall be provided to the entire Commission

HB5085
- 5 -
LRB104 19306 KTG 32752 b
1
membership.
2

(e) A superintendent may be removed from office if, after
3
delegates from no less than 3 different veteran service
4
organizations file a written request calling for the
5
superintendent's removal, there is a vote from a majority of
6
the full Commission membership in favor of such removal.
7

(f) Each Veterans Assistance Commission shall establish
8
and maintain bylaws that outline the framework, policies, and
9
procedures for conducting the business of the Commission and
10
for the rules and regulations that apply to its members. Those
11
bylaws shall reflect compliance with all relevant laws at the
12
time they are established and shall be revised as necessary to
13
remain in compliance with current law. The establishment of
14
those bylaws, and any revisions thereafter, shall require a
15
minimum two-thirds majority vote of approval from a majority
16
of the full Commission membership.
17

(g) Each Veterans Assistance Commission shall, in writing,
18
adopt all applicable policies already established and in place
19
in its respective county, including, but not limited to,
20
policies related to compensation, employee rights, ethics,
21
procurement, and budget, and shall adapt those policies to fit
22
its organizational structure. Those policies shall then be
23
considered the policies of the Veterans Assistance Commission
24
and they shall be implemented and adhered to, accordingly, by
25
the superintendent and by the Commission. The Commission shall
26
amend its adopted policies whenever a county board amends an

HB5085
- 6 -
LRB104 19306 KTG 32752 b
1
applicable policy within 60 days of the county board
2
amendment.
3

(h) No warrant authorized under this Act may be issued for
4
the payment of money without the presentation of an itemized
5
statement or claim, approved by the superintendent of the
6
Commission and reported to the full Commission membership.
7

(i) Each Veterans Assistance Commission shall perform an
8
annual audit in accordance with the Governmental Account Audit
9
Act using either the auditing services provided by its
10
respective county or the services of an independent auditor
11
whose services shall be paid for by the Commission. A copy of
12
that audit report shall be provided to the president or
13
chairperson of the county board.
14

(i-5) For each fiscal year after January 1, 2027, each
15
Veterans Assistance Commission shall prepare a budget and
16
publish the budget on its official website. A public hearing
17
on the contents of the budget shall occur within 30 days of its
18
publication. The budget must be approved by the full
19
Commission membership and by the county board of the county
20
where the Veterans Assistance Commission is organized.
21

Each Veterans Assistance Commission must follow the same
22
procurement and bidding procedures as its respective county or
23
the largest sponsoring government entity based on financial
24
contribution, not population.

25

All Veterans Assistance Commissions are subject to the
26
Freedom of Information Act.

HB5085
- 7 -
LRB104 19306 KTG 32752 b
1

(j) Veterans Assistance Commissions and county boards
2
subject to this Act shall cooperate fully with the boards,
3
commissions, agencies, departments, and institutions of the
4
State. The funds held and made available by the county, the
5
State, or any other source shall be subject to financial and
6
compliance audits in accordance with the Illinois State
7
Auditing Act.
8

(k) The Veterans Assistance Commission shall be in charge
9
of the administration of any benefits provided under Articles
10
VI and IX of the Illinois Public Aid Code for military veterans
11
and their families.
12

(l) The Veterans Assistance Commission shall represent
13
veterans in their application for or attempts to obtain
14
benefits and services through State and federal agencies,
15
including representing veterans in their appeals of adverse
16
decisions.
17

(m) The superintendent of the Veterans Assistance
18
Commission and its employees must comply with the procedures
19
and regulations adopted by the Veterans Assistance Commission
20
and the regulations of the Department of Human Services.
21

(n) To further the intent of this Act of assisting
22
military veterans, this Act is to be construed so that the
23
Veterans Assistance Commission shall provide needed services
24
to eligible veterans.
25
(Source: P.A. 102-484, eff. 8-20-21; 102-732, eff. 1-1-23;
26
102-1132, eff. 2-10-23.)

HB5085
- 8 -
LRB104 19306 KTG 32752 b
1

Section 99.
Effective date.
This Act takes effect upon
2
becoming law.

Footer

Disclaimer

This site is maintained for the Illinois General Assembly by the
Legislative Information System, 705 Stratton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706.

Contact ILGA Webmaster

ILGA.gov uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse ILGA.gov you consent to our use of cookies.
Read About Cookies

ILGA.GOV

2026 ILGA.gov | All Rights Reserved |
ADA

|
Disclaimers
|
Learn

This site is maintained for the Illinois General Assembly by the
Legislative Information System, 705 Stratton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706.
Contact ILGA Webmaster

ILGA.gov uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse ILGA.gov you consent to our use of cookies.
Read About Cookies

ILGA.GOV

2026 ILGA.gov | All Rights Reserved |
ADA

|
Disclaimers
|
Learn