Lilly Measure Seeks to Expand Fulltime Veterans Service Offices

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – To improve the delivery of services to veterans in Illinois, state Rep. Camille Y. Lilly, D-Chicago, is working to require that the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) establish fulltime, convenient field offices in every part of the state.

“Illinois veterans deserve to have convenient, direct and local access to the services they have earned,” Lilly said. “Ensuring that IDVA has an office in each legislative district will bring critical services closer to the veterans who require them.”

Lilly is sponsoring House Bill 2548 to require IDVA to establish a field office in each of the state’s 59 State Senate districts. Currently, IDVA operates 35 part-time offices and 49 full-time offices. Under Lilly’s proposed law, the department would consolidate part-time offices and establish more full-time offices while also aligning field offices for the best delivery and localization of services. Lilly’s legislation is designed to reduce the burden on veterans navigating the array of services and benefits available to them.

“Illinois provides an array of services for veterans to ensure they have access to education, employment and housing,” Lilly said. “My legislation would bring services closer to veterans who need them and make state government operate more effectively and more efficiently.”