Summary — SB 2550 (Introduced 2/25/2025)
Title shown in metadata: Small Business and Grocer Investment Act; extend repealer on.
Document content (bill text) : Appropriations for the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (FY 2026)
Note: The bill metadata and the bill text conflict. The text provided is an FY2026 appropriations bill for the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA). The metadata title (“Small Business and Grocer Investment Act”) appears inconsistent with the text below. Also, the legislative action log contains contradictory status entries (see “Legislative status” below). Verify the official status and text in the Illinois General Assembly database for final legal details.
Purpose / Intent
To make line-item appropriations from multiple state funds and federal funds to the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs for ordinary and contingent expenses for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, supporting veterans’ homes, field services, grants, scholarships, PTSD/homelessness programs, housing, and related operational needs.
Key provisions and dollar amounts (selected items from bill text)
- Total appropriations shown up-front:
- General Funds: $160,460,600
- Other State Funds: $71,321,965
- Federal Funds: $2,691,400
- Total: $234,473,965
- Central Office (General Revenue Fund): $15,099,300
- Personal services, operations, security enhancements, DEIA initiatives, etc.
- Veterans’ Accountability Unit: $1,096,200 (GRF)
- Grants-in-aid (GRF) — selected:
- Warrior Assistance Program: $250,000
- Bonus payments to war veterans / peacetime crisis survivors: $198,000
- Educational opportunities for children of certain veterans: $500,000
- Cartage/erection of veterans’ headstones: $425,000
- Total grants-in-aid shown: $1,373,000
- Scholarships for dependents of resident military personnel POW/MIA/killed/disabled: $3,500,000
- Illinois Veterans’ Home — Chicago (GRF): $16,830,900
- Illinois Veterans’ Homes Fund appropriation for Chicago: $6,000,000
- Veterans Assistance Fund (grants & research re: PTSD, homelessness, long-term care): $2,000,000
- Reappropriation (unexpended funds from prior act): $1,641,865 (for PTSD/homelessness/other veteran services)
- Affordable Housing Trust Fund — specially adapted housing for veterans: $240,000
- Illinois Military Family Relief Fund — payments under Compensation Act: $250,000
- Veterans’ Field Services (GRF): $8,186,400
- Illinois Veterans’ Home at Anna (GRF): $9,141,400; Anna Veterans Home Fund: $2,976,900
- Illinois Veterans’ Home at Quincy (GRF): $45,517,400; Quincy Veterans Home Fund: additional personnel/retirement funding (partial text)
Note: The bill text is truncated in places; further line-items and totals for some homes/funds may be omitted in the excerpt provided.
Who is affected
- Primary: Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (agency operations and staff).
- Veterans and their dependents: recipients of scholarships, housing assistance, PTSD and homelessness services, headstone services, bonus payments, and long‑term care at veterans’ homes.
- Veterans’ homes (Chicago, Anna, Quincy, etc.): staffing, operations, capital/permanent improvements.
- Veterans’ service organizations, community providers, and county veterans’ assistance commissions that may receive grants or contracts.
Legislative status / timeline (conflicting records)
- Introduced / first read: 2/25/2025 (Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr. listed as introducer in document header).
- Committee referrals and hearings: March–April 2025 (Natural Resources; Finance).
- Action log in the provided record includes passage votes in House and Senate and a Governor’s signature dated 5/24/2025 with effective date 9/1/2025.
- However, the initial “Status” line provided with the prompt says: Died In Committee (2/04/2025). These entries conflict. Also “Sponsors” list shows “West (primary)” while header lists Sen. Sims as introducer.
- Recommendation: Consult the official Illinois General Assembly website or Secretary of State record to confirm the enacted text, sponsor list, and final status.
Impact summary
If enacted as shown, the bill directs roughly $234.5 million (combined funds) to support DVA operations and veteran services in FY2026, bolstering veterans’ homes staffing/operations, targeted grants for PTSD/homelessness, scholarships, specially adapted housing, and other veterans’ benefits and programs. Exact impacts depend on final enacted language and any omitted/ truncated sections in the provided text.
Related bill: HB 3901 (companion) — check companion for any differences.
