Illinois Code § 2.01a

§ 2.01a.

Members benefits fund; personal property. The Department shall direct the expenditure of all money which has been or may be received by any officer of an Illinois Veterans Home including profit on sales from commissary stores. The money shall be deposited into the members benefits fund and expenditures from the fund shall be made under the direction of the Department for the special comfort, pleasure, and amusement of residents and employees, provided that amounts expended for comfort, pleasure, and amusement of employees shall not exceed the amount of profits derived from sales made to employees by such commissaries, as determined by the Department. The Department may also make expenditures from the fund, subject to approval by the Director of Veterans' Affairs, for recognition and appreciation programs for volunteers who assist the Veterans Homes. Expenditures from the fund may not be used to supplement a shortfall in the ordinary and contingent operating expenses of the Home and shall be expended only for the special comfort, pleasure, and amusement of the residents. The Department shall prepare a quarterly report on all locally held member's benefits funds from each Illinois Veterans Home. The report shall contain the amount of donations received for each veterans' home, including monetary and nonmonetary items, the expenditures and items disbursed, and the end of quarter balance of the locally held member's benefits funds. The Department shall submit the quarterly report to the General Assembly and to the Governor and publish the report on its website. Money received as interest and income on funds deposited for residents of an Illinois Veterans Home shall be paid to the individual accounts of the residents. If home residents choose to hold savings accounts or other investments outside the Home, interest or income on the individual savings accounts or investments of residents shall accrue to the individual accounts of the residents. Any money belonging to residents separated by death, discharge, or unauthorized absence from an Illinois Veterans Home, in custody of officers thereof, may, if unclaimed by the resident or the legal representatives thereof for a period of 2 years, be expended at the direction of the Department for the purposes and in the manner specified above. Articles of personal property, with the exception of clothing left in the custody of officers, shall, if unclaimed for the period of 2 years, be sold and the money disposed of in the same manner. Clothing left at a Home by residents at the time of separation may be used as determined by the Home if unclaimed by the resident or legal representatives thereof within 30 days after notification. (Source: P.A. 102-549, eff. 1-1-22; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)