SPRINGFIELD, IL… State Representative Brandun Schweizer (R-Danville) passed two measures, HB 1882 and HB 2777, to benefit veterans out of the House. The legislative pieces were originally filed by State Representative Stephanie Kifowit of Aurora, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and Vice Chair of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, before chief sponsorship was transferred to Rep. Schweizer, also a veteran of the Marine Corps, serving 21 years.
HB 1882 is a measure to reinstate the Veterans’ Service-Related Ailments Task Force that was repealed on December 31, 2023, and rename it the Veterans’ Services Task Force. The task force will be made up of 15 people, meeting at least twice yearly to focus on reviewing and making recommendations regarding veterans’ service-related ailments that are not currently recognized by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs along with other services our Veterans might need. A report of the task force’s findings and recommendations must be submitted to the General Assembly and the Governor by December 31, 2026, and the task force will be dissolved on December 31, 2027.
HB 2777 is an initiative of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs that seeks to clarify time off for veteran medical appointments. In current law, an employee who is also a veteran is permitted 4 days off per year to visit a veteran’s hospital or clinic for an examination of a military service-related disability and those days do not take away from their accrued sick time. This measure expands the use of those four days by changing the language from veteran’s hospital or clinic to veteran medical appointments, encompassing all needed veteran medical intervention.
“I thank Rep. Kifowit for her leadership on these important measures that continue to benefit veterans,” said Rep. Schweizer. “By passing this legislation out of the House, we are one step closer to making much needed clarifications and expansions to existing state law and to setting up a task force to explore more on service-related ailments, an issue that is very dear to me and needs to be addressed. I am pleased that my colleagues saw the need for these pieces of legislation, and I am thankful that Rep. Kifowit allowed me to take over sponsorship on her bills.”
“I appreciate being able to work with a fellow U.S. Marine Veteran in the Illinois House to meet the needs of our Veterans. In all the years that I have been serving, Veteran issues have always had bi-partisan support of every representative in the IL House”, stated Kifowit. “These two pieces of legislation solidify our ongoing commitment of giving the support and respect to our fellow Veterans that they deserve for their service”.
Both measures now await consideration in the Senate. To track the progress of HB 1882 and 2777, visit ilga.gov. With questions on either bills, please contact Rep. Schweizer at (217) 477-0104 or at RepSchweizer.com.
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