Chambana Sun

Brandun Schweizer introduced HB2572 in the Illinois House on Feb. 4, 2025, during the general assembly session 104, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Amends the School Code and the Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents Educational Opportunity Grant Act. In provisions concerning the Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents scholarship and the Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents Educational Opportunity Grant program, provides that the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall determine, by rule, the eligibility of the persons who apply for the scholarship or grant (rather than the Department shall determine the eligibility of the persons who apply For the scholarship or grant)."

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill amends the School Code to provide a Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents scholarship for eligible dependents of veterans or service members. Eligible dependents include spouses, natural or legally adopted children under 18, minor children under court-ordered guardianship, and step-children under 18. The scholarship covers four calendar years of full-time education at state-supported Illinois institutions and may be used for summer terms. Dependents attending less than full-time will receive prorated scholarships. Benefits cease if a surviving spouse remarries or divorces while a dependent is enrolled. It also provides substitutes, including defraying therapeutic costs, for dependents with disabilities. The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs will administer the scholarship and payment processes. Changes also apply to the Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents Educational Opportunity Grant Act, detailing payment processes for minor children of deceased veterans.

Brandun Schweizer has proposed another three bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Brandun Schweizer is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 104th House District. He replaced previous state representative Mike Marron in 2023.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
HB2572	02/04/2025	Amends the School Code and the Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents Educational Opportunity Grant Act. In provisions concerning the Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents scholarship and the Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents Educational Opportunity Grant program, provides that the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall determine, by rule, the eligibility of the persons who apply for the scholarship or grant (rather than the Department shall determine the eligibility of the persons who apply For the scholarship or grant).
HB2573	02/04/2025	Amends the State Finance Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
HB1386	01/15/2025	Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026 and beginning before January 1, 2029, the amount of the credit for volunteer emergency workers shall be $1,000 per eligible individual (currently, $500 per eligible individual). Provides that the aggregate amount of volunteer emergency worker credits shall be $6,000,000 per year (currently, $5,000,000 per year). Effective immediately.
HB1353	01/14/2025	Amends the Volunteer Emergency Worker Job Protection Act. Provides that employment protections for volunteer emergency workers apply to volunteer emergency workers participating in required training, including a prohibition on termination and penalizing (rather than only termination). Provides that the employer may not require the employee to take vacation time or other compensatory time in order to respond to an emergency or participate in training. Provides that the Act does not apply to any employer that is a municipality with a population of 15,000 or more (currently 7,500 or more). Makes conforming changes.