HB5085 Risks Undermining Veteran Support

As a member of the veterans community, I am raising concerns about Illinois House Bill 5085, sponsored by Rep. Natalie Manley.

While presented as a transparency measure, HB5085 would require Veterans Assistance Commissions (VACs) to operate under additional layers of county control and bureaucracy. This shift threatens the independence of VACs—grassroots, veteran-led organizations that provide immediate, direct assistance to veterans in crisis.

VACs are often the first line of support for veterans facing eviction, food insecurity, or difficulty navigating VA benefits. These situations require rapid response. Adding delays, approvals, and political oversight risks slowing that response when timing can mean everything.

We must also recognize the broader context: veteran suicide remains a serious and ongoing crisis. Any policy that creates barriers to timely, local support—no matter how well-intended—carries real risk. When access to help is delayed, the consequences can be devastating.

This is why veterans across Illinois are speaking out. HB5085 does more than increase oversight—it risks weakening a system built specifically to serve veterans quickly and effectively.

Rep. Manley and other lawmakers should engage directly with veterans and service officers before advancing changes that could have unintended, harmful consequences.

Our veterans answered the call. We must ensure the systems that support them remain responsive and effective.

Dutch DeGroot, 2nd Vice President

Veterans Affairs Commission of Cook County

Mount Prospect