(330 ILCS 25/1)

(from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 201)

Sec. 1.

Short title.

This Act may be cited as the

Veterans' Employment Act.

(Source: P.A. 88‑12.)

(330 ILCS 25/2)

(from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 202)

Sec. 2.

The General Assembly hereby declares that it is the purpose of this Act to increase the receptivity of employers in each community to hiring veterans, through contacts with veterans occupying key positions in business and industry; to persuade local institutions to make more resources available to the solution of veterans' problems; to encourage and help Vietnam veterans to make full use of and to support all volunteer activities available to them, especially veterans service organizations; and to encourage and help Vietnam veterans to make full use of all federal, State and community activities and benefits available to them.

(Source: P.A. 83‑283.)

(330 ILCS 25/3)

(from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 203)

Sec. 3.

Definition.

For the purposes of this Act, "Director" means the Director of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity or its successor agency.

(Source: P.A. 94‑99, eff. 1‑1‑06.)

(330 ILCS 25/4)

(from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 204)

Sec. 4.

The services to be offered under this Act shall be provided to, but not necessarily be limited to, veterans of the United States armed forces who served during the American involvement in Vietnam.

(Source: P.A. 83‑283.)

(330 ILCS 25/5)

(from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 205)

Sec. 5.

Service centers.

(a) The Director shall designate multipurpose service centers for veterans operated by community nonprofit agencies or organizations. To the greatest extent possible, the Director shall rely on such agencies or organizations whose major emphasis has been to provide social services.

(b) The Director shall search for such nonprofit agencies or organizations to carry out the programs created under this Act.

(c) The Director shall designate the agencies or organizations to carry out such programs.

(d) Subject to appropriation, the Director shall begin to provide the necessary funds to the nonprofit agencies or organizations to set up and begin the operation of the multipurpose service centers. Thereafter the Director shall provide the funds appropriated for grants to the centers as the costs of the centers are incurred.

(e) The Director shall, with the advice of the staff of the centers, promulgate rules and regulations to implement this Act. Such rules and regulations shall include eligibility of persons for job training programs, the level of stipends for the job training programs, and a sliding fee scale for the service programs.

(f) In performing his duties pursuant to this Act, the Director shall consult and cooperate with such State agencies as may be appropriate, including but not limited to the Department of Employment Security and the Department of Veterans' Affairs to ensure that there is no duplication of services.

(Source: P.A. 94‑99, eff. 1‑1‑06.)

(330 ILCS 25/6)

(from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 206)

Sec. 6.

(a) The multipurpose service centers shall, after consulting and in cooperation with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, develop job counseling and placement services by cooperating with federal, State and local governmental agencies and private employers. The services shall include:

(1) counseling veterans with respect to appropriate

job opportunities;

(2) identifying community needs and seeking funding

for new public and private sector jobs in relation to this Act;

(3) providing veterans with training, skills and

referral services to help them to become gainfully employed and independent;

(4) developing plans to include more veterans in

existing training and placement programs; and

(5) referring veterans to agencies which provide

information and assistance with respect to health care, financial matters, education, nutrition and legal problems.

(b) To the extent possible, the centers shall serve surrounding rural areas through a rural outreach effort.

(c) To the extent possible, supervisory, technical and administrative positions relating to the multipurpose service programs shall be filled by veterans.

(d) The director of each center shall submit an annual report to the Director. The report shall include evaluations of the effectiveness of the job training, placement and service programs to veterans including the number of persons trained, the number of persons placed in employment, follow‑up data on such persons, the number of persons served by the various service programs, and estimates of the cost effectiveness of the various components of the center. The Director shall also require quarterly reports and shall by rule specify the information to be included in the quarterly reports.

(e) The director of each center may accept, use and dispose of contributions of money, services and property for the purposes of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 94‑99, eff. 1‑1‑06.)

(330 ILCS 25/7)

(from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 207)

Sec. 7.

(a) The sponsoring nonprofit agency or organization shall consult and cooperate with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to ensure that there is no duplication of services, and shall cooperate with federal, State and local agencies to coordinate the multiservice programs established under this Act.

(b) The agency or organization and the communities served by programs established under this Act shall provide a total of not less than 5% of the cost of the operation of the centers to supplement monies appropriated to implement and continue this Act.

(Source: P.A. 94‑99, eff. 1‑1‑06.)