Veterans react to new accountability law for Illinois Veterans Homes - khqa.com
Springfield, Ill. (WICS/WRSP — For veterans, the two deadly outbreaks of diseases in state veterans homes in the past seven years was hard to watch.
The first was in 2015 at the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy.
"'How could this happen to people that have served our country?'" Airforce veteran Mike Walton asked. "'How could anyone let this happen?' And then we have another one happen."
That other one was in 2020 when 36 veterans died from COVID-19 at the Illinois Veterans Home in La Salle.
Walton served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War from 1967 to 1971 and said more oversight is needed.
"Now, I'm glad to see the government, the legislature, realizes what a problem it's been," Walton said.
Those deaths led to a new law sponsored by state Sen. Tom Cullerton who's a democrat representing the 23rd district.
It creates a Veterans Accountability Unit within the Illinois Veterans Affairs Department.
"It allows for accountability for veterans and their families to report incidents that occur at some of the veterans homes," Sen. Cullerton said.
Families, employees, and veterans themselves will now be able to send direct complaints and recommendations about state veteran facilities.
The complaints would then be sent to the Executive Inspector General's Office.
It's a resource that Walton said might have saved lives.
"It looks like to me now with this new legislation starting in June, they're going to have a place to go and somebody that will answer their questions," Walton said. "And finally find out what's really going on and that's very important."
Along with its own director, the Veterans Accountability Unit will also offer a free helpline and be required to do an annual report on how they're responding to complaints.
The new law goes into effect on June 1, 2022.
source: https://khqa.com/newsletter-daily/veterans-react-to-new-accountability-law-for-illinois-veterans-homes
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