Attorney General Sends Letter To Veterans Assistance Commissions –

Springfield, Ill. (ECWd) –

The Illinois Attorney General sent the following to the various county Veterans Assistance Commissions congratulating them on their appointments and touching on some of their responsibilities as appointed members of their commissions.

Dear member of the Veterans Assistance Commission,

Our democracy is built on the idea of participatory government. You were appointed by your veteran service organization to represent them on the Veterans Assistance Commission (VAC) pursuant to the Military Veterans Assistance Act (MVAA).  You serve a vital role in overseeing the Commission as it provides the just and necessary assistance and services to military veterans and their dependents. You are a part of something that will greatly impact members of your veteran community. Your appointment as a delegate or alternate is an honor and privilege and comes with great responsibilities.

Delegates and alternates of a county VAC are bound by the Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act and are required to complete the Open Meetings Act (OMA) electronic training, developed and administered by the Public Access Counselor of the Office of the Illinois Attorney General. As a unit of local government, each county VAC has annual requirements. Here is a list of just a few you should keep in mind:

• In addition to each delegate and alternate completing OMA training within their first 90 days, each VAC must appoint one person who will complete OMA training annually. The designee must file a copy of each completion certificate with the Public Access Counselor. 
• Each county VAC shall annually report to the Governor, on or before the first day of January, of each year. A copy of the report sent to the governor shall be provided to the president or chairperson of the county board and shall be made publicly available online.
• All VACs shall perform an audit annually, in accordance with the Governmental Account Audit Act (GAAA). A copy of that audit report shall be provided to the County. 
• In accordance with GAAA, the audit shall begin as soon as possible after the close of the last fiscal year and must be completed and filed with the Comptroller 180 days after the close of that fiscal year. 
• Each VAC is also subject to compliance audits in accordance with the Illinois State Auditing Act.
• The VAC superintendent shall be evaluated annually, and a written report shall be generated. A copy of the report from the evaluation shall be provided to the entire VAC membership. 

The Military and Veterans Rights Bureau (MVRB) serves as a resource for members of the veteran community. Delegates, alternates, members of the VAC, and county officials can always contact MVRB for assistance. We also offer in-person presentations that cover the Military Veterans Assistance Act. For more information about our services or to book a presentation please call the Military and Veterans Rights Helpline at 1-800-382-3000 or send an email to [email protected]. Thank you for your continued service.