Bill
SB 1368
Allows adjacent small counties to jointly form a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission to pool resources and fund veteran services.
Status & timeline
- Introduced: Feb 18, 2025 (Sen. Jil Tracy). Companion: HB 1049.
- Committee and floor actions through spring 2025; House and Senate amendments adopted.
- Passed both chambers and signed by the Governor (bill notes: Signed July 8, 2025). The bill states it is effective immediately.
Purpose / intent
- To expand the Military Veterans Assistance Act to permit the voluntary formation of multi‑county Veterans Assistance Commissions so that veteran service organizations (VSOs) in small, adjacent counties may jointly provide veteran assistance services and share administration and funding.
Key provisions
- Multi‑county commission formation:
- VSOs located in two or more adjacent counties with populations of 60,000 or less may enter into an agreement to jointly form a multi‑county Veterans Assistance Commission to serve those counties.
- A multi‑county commission may also be formed when an existing county Veterans Assistance Commission and a VSO in an adjacent county (without its own commission, population ≤60,000) enter an agreement.
- Required terms of the inter‑county agreement:
- How funding is distributed among member counties;
- Location of the commission’s office;
- Types of services to be provided;
- Superintendent selection or appointment process;
- Commission rules and policies;
- Composition of delegates and alternates representing member counties.
- Powers and duties:
- A multi‑county Veterans Assistance Commission has the same powers and duties under the Military Veterans Assistance Act as a single‑county commission.
- Related statutory adjustments:
- Conforming changes are made across the Counties Code, Illinois Public Aid Code, Drug Court Treatment Act, Veterans and Servicemembers Court Treatment Act, and Mental Health Court Treatment Act so multi‑county commissions are recognized for funding, administration, and program eligibility.
- Tax/finance clarifications (House amendment):
- Clarifies tax levy provisions for “Jurisdictional Veterans Assistance Commissions,” including directing proceeds into the county treasury where the commission is headquartered and permitting use of proceeds for salaries and administrative expenses as authorized by existing law. (Existing levy caps and Public Aid Code levy requirements are retained/adjusted in statute text.)
Who is affected
- Veterans and their families in eligible small/population counties (≤60,000).
- Veteran service organizations in adjacent small counties seeking shared services.
- County boards and treasuries involved in tax levies and distribution of commission funds.
- Existing single‑county Veterans Assistance Commissions that may enter inter‑county agreements.
Practical impact
- Enables small, neighboring counties to pool administrative resources and funding to maintain or expand veteran services where a single county alone might lack scale.
- Creates a formal framework for funding allocation, governance, and accountability for multi‑county arrangements, and aligns related state programs and funding rules to recognize such commissions.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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