HB2973 Summary

• Establishes the Illinois Veterans Advisory Council with at least 21 members including legislators, veterans, service organization representatives, and state officials to advise the Department of Veterans Affairs and report annually to the Governor and General Assembly.

• Adds new responsibilities to the Veterans Advisory Council to investigate re-entry challenges for service members returning from active theaters, including post-traumatic stress disorder, homelessness, and disabilities, with annual reports due by July 1 each year starting in 2018.

• Dissolves the Illinois Discharged Servicemember Task Force on July 1, 2018, and transfers its investigation and reporting responsibilities to the Veterans Advisory Council, ending the Task Force's annual reporting requirement after July 1, 2017.

• Creates the Illinois Joining Forces Foundation as a not-for-profit entity to support military and veteran-serving organizations through grant-making, policy recommendations, and a no-wrong-door online navigation platform for accessing federal, state, and private resources.

• Removes reference to the Illinois Discharged Servicemember Task Force from the Military Prior Learning Assessment Task Force membership requirements since that task force will be dissolved.