Illinois § 10

§ 10.

Superintendents and counties. (a) The executive powers of the Commission shall be vested in a superintendent selected or appointed by a vote from a majority of the full Commission membership and who shall have received an honorable discharge from the armed forces of the United States. (b) Superintendent vacancies shall be filled, whether long-term or temporarily, at the next regularly scheduled full Commission meeting or within 30 days at a specially convened meeting, whichever comes sooner, and shall be selected by a vote from a majority of the full Commission membership. (c) Any individual who may be tasked with assuming the duties of or may be vested with the executive powers of a superintendent, whether as acting or interim superintendent, must be selected or appointed by a vote from a majority of the full Commission membership and must have received an honorable discharge from the armed forces of the United States. (d) The designated superintendent of the Veterans Assistance Commission of the county shall, under the direction of the Commission, have charge of and maintain an office in the county building or a central location within the county, to be used solely by the Commission for providing the just, necessary, and needed services mandated by law. (e) The county shall provide for the funding of the office and provide all necessary furnishings, supplies, and services as passed by the county board in its annual appropriation, and the county shall provide or fund services, including, but not limited to, human resources and payroll support; information technology services and equipment; telephone services and equipment; printing services and equipment; postage costs; and liability insurance. Any litigation or legal settlement that has a financial impact to the county is subject to the approval of the county board. (f) The county shall also provide to the employees of the Commission all benefits available to county employees, including, but not limited to, benefits offered through the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund or any other applicable county retirement fund; health, life, and dental insurance; and workers compensation insurance. Employer contributions and costs for these benefits, services, and coverages may come from Commission funds. Counties not currently providing benefits to Commission employees must comply with this subsection within 90 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly. (g) The county board shall, in any county where a Veterans Assistance Commission is organized, in addition to sums appropriated for these just, necessary, and needed services as provided by law and approved by the Commission under this Act, appropriate such additional sums, upon recommendation of the Veterans Assistance Commission, to properly compensate, in accordance with the requirements of subsection (g) of Section 9 and subsection (e) of this Section, the officers and employees required to administer such assistance. The county board shall also provide funds to the Commission to reimburse the superintendent, officers, delegates and employees for certain expenses which are approved by the Commission. The superintendent and other employees shall be employees of the Veterans Assistance Commission, and no provision in this Section or elsewhere in this Act shall be construed to mean that they are employees of the county. (h) Superintendents, subject to rules formulated by the Commission, shall select, as far as possible, Veteran Service Officers and other employees from among military veterans, including those who have served or may still be serving as members of the Illinois National Guard or a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, who did not receive a bad conduct or dishonorable discharge or other equivalent discharge thereof, or their spouses, surviving spouses, or children. Employees of the Commission shall be at-will employees. (i) In a county with less than 2,000,000 inhabitants, the superintendent may, in conformance with subsection (f) of Section 3-9005 of the Counties Code, request from the State's Attorney serving the county in which the Veterans Assistance Commission is located, an opinion upon any question of law relating to a matter in which the county Veterans Assistance Commission may be concerned. With regard to matters involving Section 8 or 9 or subsection (a), (b), or (c) of Section 10, the State's Attorney shall confer with the Office of the Attorney General before rendering an opinion. (j) Superintendents of all counties subject to this Act, when required by the Commission, shall give bond in the sum of $2,000 for the faithful performance of their duties. (k) All persons selected or appointed to fill positions provided for in this Section shall be exempt from the operation and provisions of any civil service act or laws of this State, and the secretary of the Commission shall be appointed by the superintendent. (Source: P.A. 102-56, eff. 7-9-21; 102-732, eff. 1-1-23; 102-1132, eff. 2-10-23.)