Illinois Code § 2

§ 2.

The purpose of this Act is, in part, to provide, in accordance with this Section, just and necessary assistance and services to military veterans who served in the Armed Forces of the United States and whose last discharge from the service was honorable or general under honorable conditions, to their families, and to the families of deceased veterans with service who need such assistance and services. The following actions shall be taken in support of that purpose: (1) The supervisor of general assistance or the county board shall provide such sums of money as may be just and necessary to be drawn by the commander, quartermaster or commandant of any veterans service organization, in the city or town, or the superintendent of any Veterans' Assistance Commission of the county, upon the recommendation of the assistance committee of that veterans service organization or Veterans' Assistance Commission. (A) Funding for Veterans Assistance Commissions may be derived from 3 sources, if applicable: (i) a tax levied under Section 5-2006 of the Counties Code and Section 12-21.13 of the Illinois Public Aid Code; (ii) funds from the county general corporate fund; and (iii) State funds from the Department of Human Services. (B) The minimum amount to be provided annually to Veterans Assistance Commissions is provided in Section 12-21.13 of the Illinois Public Aid Code, unless the delegates of the County Veterans Assistance Commission determine that a lesser amount covers the just and necessary sums. (2) If any supervisor of general assistance or county board fails or refuses after such recommendation to provide just and necessary sums of money for such assistance, then the veteran service organization or the superintendent of any Veterans' Assistance Commission located in the district of such supervisor of general assistance or such county board shall apply to the circuit court of the district or county for relief by mandamus upon the supervisor of general assistance or county board requiring him, her or it to pay, or to appropriate and pay such sums of money, and upon proof made of the justice and necessity of the claim, the circuit court shall grant the sums so requested. (3) Such sums of money shall be drawn in the manner now provided under Section 5-2006 of the Counties Code and Section 12-21.13 of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Orders of commanders, quartermasters, commandants, or superintendents of those veterans service organizations or those Veterans' Assistance Commissions shall be proper warrants for the expenditure of such sums of money. (Source: P.A. 102-732, eff. 1-1-23; 102-1132, eff. 2-10-23.)