VILLA PARK – The Senate’s Veterans Affairs committee passed a series of important measures this legislative session that are now law in Illinois.

Veterans Committee Chairman Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) is proud of the bipartisan work the committee did this legislative session.

“We tackled a series of important issues this year to ensure our state meets the growing needs of our nation’s heroes,” Cullerton said. “Our service men and women put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe. It’s vital that we work in a bipartisan manner to pass meaningful laws that pay tribute to their countless sacrifices.”

Cullerton served in the Army from 1990 to 1993 as an infantryman. He continues to use his military experience to champion legislation to help military veterans, personnel and their families.

The following legislation passed the Senate’s Committee on Veterans Affairs and is now law:

Senate Bill 3128: Gives the Capital Development Board and the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs authority to address the public health crisis at the Illinois Veterans Home at Quincy.

This is one of many measures Cullerton pushed to help save veteran lives by speeding up construction and repairs at the Quincy facility.

“Our U.S. servicemen and women should not live in harm’s way because of the governor’s incompetence,” Cullerton said. “It’s the state’s job to ensure Illinois’ heroes are able to live their golden years in a safe environment with the best possible care.”

Senate Bill 3192: The governor annually designates, by official proclamation, the day before Gold Star Mother's Day as Gold Star Family Day.

House Bill 4278: Requires an Illinois Veterans Home to notify facility residents and their emergency contacts within 24 hours if two or more residents in the home have been diagnosed with an infectious disease in period of one month or less.

Cullerton championed the passage of this measure in response to Gov. Rauner’s mismanagement of the Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks at the Quincy Veterans Home. Despite signs of the spread of bacteria reaching epidemic proportions, the governor failed to notify the public about the deadly 2015 outbreak until nearly a week later.

Read more: Tom Cullerton leads charge to protect veterans

VILLA PARK – A new Illinois law championed by State Senator Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) will prevent state licensing boards from suspending or revoking individual licenses and certificates if a consumer defaults on their student loans.

“It is counterproductive and counterintuitive to take away someone’s capability to work because they are unable to pay bills,” Cullerton said. “Obviously, if you cannot work you will not be able to pay your loans and will collect more debt. That cycle doesn’t benefit anybody.”

Student loans are the largest source of consumer debt in the United States, surpassing mortgages and credit cards debt.

Senate Bill 2439 puts provisions in place to prevent individuals with student loan default from having licenses denied, revoked or suspended in 37 professions such as occupational therapists, barbers, teachers, structural engineers, home inspectors and real estate agents.

Student loan debt is the only type of debt in the U.S. that is not eligible for bankruptcy protections except in severe instances.

“We need to look for ways to make college more affordable to ensure our children are graduating college with mountains of opportunities, not debt.” Cullerton said.

Senate Bill 2439 passed with bipartisan support and is now in effect.

VILLA PARK – To better serve Illinois veterans and their loved ones, state veterans facilities will now be required to submit biannual reports to the General Assembly.

House Bill 5784, sponsored by State Senator Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park), became law on Monday, requiring the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to regularly inform the general assembly about the health and welfare of the residents at each state-run veterans facility. The DVA must also keep the GA informed of any epidemics or cases involving a communicable disease.

“This bipartisan measure will promote transparency and hold Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration accountable for the care and service our nation’s heroes receive at state-run facilities,” Cullerton said. “For far too long the governor’s administration has continued to conceal the facts.  My goal is to ensure there is a series of checks and balances to prevent avoidable catastrophes such as the Legionnaires’ epidemic.”

In December 2017, WBEZ Radio in Chicago released a report of the earliest cases of Legionnaires’ disease in 2015. The timeline of events showed a six-day delay between the Department of Public Health knowing an epidemic was occurring and their release of this information to the public. Family members of the victims said they were not notified of an outbreak before the press release.

Those families of victims have filed lawsuits against the state claiming negligence.

“It is a shame that our U.S. servicemen and women were put in harm’s way by Gov. Rauner’s administration. However, we must act now to shine some light onto the care of veterans receive and work to keep them safe,” Cullertons said.

House Bill 5784 passed the Senate and House with bipartisan support goes into effect immediately.

VILLA PARK— A new Illinois law will ensure service members’ rights are protected while they are serving our nation.

State Sen. Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) sponsored Senate Bill 3547 which modernizes state military service member employment rights. The updates to the law protect modern operational reserve forces.

This bipartisan measure was signed into law on Sunday and goes into effect Jan. 1, 2019.

“It’s important that we ensure state laws are modernized with the growing needs of our military members,” Cullerton said. “While our service men and women are sacrificing their lives to protect our country they should not have to fear losing their civilian jobs.”

Senate Bill 3547, known as the Service-Member Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, takes the following action:

• Consolidates all Illinois laws providing Illinois service members employment protections;
• Expands protections regarding military rights notifications and performance reviews during leave;
• Adds definitions to resolve issues under existing laws, including the calculation of differential compensation; and
• Combines enforcement within the Office of Attorney General.

Cullerton served in the Army from 1990 to 1993 as an infantryman. He continues to use his military experience to champion legislation to help military veterans, personnel and their families.

"Our nation's heroes continue to serve our great nation with honor, respect and continue to make countless sacrifices to protect our freedoms," Cullerton said. “This new law serves as a small token of appreciation for all they do to keep us safe."

Senate Bill 3547 passed the Senate and House with unanimous support. It is an initiative of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office.

“When military service members serve our country, they should not lose their civilian jobs at home,” she said. “This new law strengthens service members’ employment protections.”