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HB 4911

VETERAN SCRATCH-OFF GAME

104th Regular Session Introduced by Li Arellano and 41 co-sponsors

Creates an Illinois Veterans scratch-off game to fund the Illinois Veterans Assistance Fund, supporting veterans’ health, housing, benefits, and emergency aid.

Sent to the Governor
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Bill Summary · HB 4911

Summary of HB 4911 (Illinois, 104th Session)

Purpose and intent

  • Establishes a special instant scratch-off lottery game dedicated to benefiting Illinois veterans.
  • Revenues from the game are earmarked to support the Illinois Veterans Assistance Fund, which funds grants and programs administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) related to veterans’ health, housing, benefits, employment, and emergency assistance.

Key provisions and changes

  • Creation of a dedicated scratch-off game:
    • The Illinois Veterans scratch-off game would commence on January 1, 2006 (or as soon as practicable thereafter).
    • The game is governed by the Illinois Lottery Law, this section, and related Department rules.
  • Establishment of the Illinois Veterans Assistance Fund:
    • A special fund in the State treasury to receive net revenues from the scratch-off game and other eligible receipts (gifts, grants, awards).
    • Net revenue is to be appropriated by the General Assembly to the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) for specified purposes.
  • Authorized uses of the Fund (for DVA):
    • (i) Veterans’ behavioral health services.
    • (ii) Veterans’ homelessness initiatives.
    • (iii) Health insurance costs for veterans.
    • (iv) Veterans’ disability benefits (including those from veterans service organizations or veterans assistance commissions/centers).
    • (v) Long-term care for veterans, with a cap beginning FY 2008: no more than 20% of funds spent on health insurance costs.
    • (vi) Veteran employment and employment training.
    • (vii) Veterans’ emergency financial assistance (e.g., past-due utilities, housing, transportation).
  • Funding authorization process and governance (beginning with FY 2008 funds):
    • A 3-member Funding Authorization Committee will be appointed by the DVA Director (one member designated as chair).
    • The Committee must meet at least twice per year and authorize expenditures by a two-thirds vote.
    • Committee decisions require approval by the DVA Director to take effect.
    • One Committee member must be from the Veterans’ Advisory Council.
    • Committee members serve until replaced by the DVA Director.
  • Non-supplant principle:
    • Net revenue from the scratch-off game and other Fund-derived resources must supplement, not replace, existing DVA appropriations for the listed purposes.
  • Fund management and reporting:
    • All moneys for these purposes (including net revenues and applicable gifts/grants) must be deposited into the Fund.
    • Interest earned on Fund moneys also goes into the Fund.
    • “Net revenue” is defined as total ticket sales minus prizes, retailer payments, and direct/estimated administrative expenses of the Department related to the scratch-off game under this section.
  • Departmental operations:
    • The Department must not unreasonably diminish marketing efforts for other instant scratch-off games while this veteran-focused game is sold.
    • The Department may adopt rules necessary to implement and administer the section.

Who and what is affected

  • State government:
    • Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) gains a dedicated funding stream and new program authorities.
    • Illinois Lottery rules and the Illinois Lottery Law governing scratch-off games are amended to include the veteran-focused game.
  • Veterans and veteran-related services:
    • Access to enhanced or new funding for behavioral health, homelessness support, health insurance costs, disability benefits support, long-term care, employment and training, and emergency financial assistance.
  • General public and lottery players:
    • Introduction of a new scratch-off game with revenue directed to veteran programs; the framework includes safeguards to prevent displacement of existing veteran-related funding.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Effective commencement:
    • The veteran scratch-off game would begin on January 1, 2006, or as soon thereafter as practicable, subject to Director discretion.
  • Funding administration timeline:
    • Beginning with FY 2008 appropriations, the 20% cap on health insurance costs (from the long-term care item) takes effect.
    • The Funding Authorization Committee is established and operative starting in FY 2008.
  • Governance and oversight:
    • Committee decisions require a two-thirds vote and Director approval to take effect.
    • One member of the committee must come from the Veterans’ Advisory Council.

Note: The bill text indicates language from prior reforms (eff. 7-28-23; 8-15-25) and the current legislative history shows the measure circulating in 2026 with sponsor changes, but the substantive provisions described above reflect the bill as introduced for the veteran scratch-off framework.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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