Chambana Sun

State Representative Brandun Schweizer, a Republican from Danville and a Marine Corps veteran, successfully passed two bills focused on veterans out of the House. The bills, HB 1882 and HB 2777, were originally filed by State Representative Stephanie Kifowit from Aurora, also a Marine Corps veteran and the Vice Chair of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. Kifowit transferred chief sponsorship to Schweizer, who served in the Marine Corps for 21 years.

HB 1882 aims to reinstate and rename the Veterans’ Service-Related Ailments Task Force, which was repealed at the end of 2023. Now called the Veterans’ Services Task Force, it will consist of 15 members meeting at least twice annually to review and recommend actions for veterans’ service-related ailments not recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Their report is due to the General Assembly and the Governor by December 31, 2026, and the task force will disband on December 31, 2027.

The second measure, HB 2777, initiated by the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, seeks to clarify the time off allowed for veteran medical appointments. Currently, veterans are permitted four days off annually for medical examinations related to military service-related disabilities, which do not deduct from their accrued sick time. The bill will expand this to include all veteran medical appointments, ensuring comprehensive medical intervention.

Representative Schweizer expressed gratitude to Kifowit for her leadership, stating, "I thank Rep. Kifowit for her leadership on these important measures that continue to benefit veterans." He emphasized the importance of the legislation, saying, “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.”

Echoing this sentiment, Kifowit remarked, “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. 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 bills are now pending review in the Senate. For updates on HB 1882 and HB 2777, visit ilga.gov. Representatives can be reached through Rep. Schweizer’s contact details for any queries regarding the bills.