Illinois Valley Times

Rep. Dan Swanson (R-Woodhull) has filed a bill that would require the director of the state Veterans Administration to be a military veteran with experience in medicine or assisted living.

"We owe the men and women who have served our nation in the United States Armed Forces a great debt of gratitude. Ensuring that they are properly cared for in their final years is the least we can do to show our appreciation. This legislation ensures that not only does a director have to have been an honorably discharged member of the military – they also have to be qualified to ensure our veterans receive appropriate healthcare," Swanson said in a statement.

Swanson filed House Bill 5715 on March 2. It has been referred to the Rules Committee.

Swanson and other legislators have been demanding answers into issues at Illinois' veterans' homes since 2020. "Beyond the facility-level problems though, which are frankly inexcusable, it's clear to me the veterans homes were being managed remotely via Zoom and conference calls with insufficient follow-up protocols to ensure employees were actually following through on proper public health protocols and not just saying they were," Swanson said.

Former VA director Linda Chappa LaVia has been back in the news as the Better Government Association recently revealed that checks were written to Chappa LaVia's mother from her political fund. Chappa LaVia was the head of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs when a COVID-19 outbreak killed 36 individuals at the LaSalle Veterans Home.