---
type: "Bill"
title: "CRIM CD-VETERANS BEN FRAUD"
description: "Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that State benefits fraud is a Class 3 felony if $300 or less is obtained and a Class 2 felony if more than $300 is obtained (rather than a Class 4 felony if the amount of benefits obtained is $300 or less and a Class 3 felony if more than $300 is obtained) if a person knowingly misrepresents oneself as a veteran or as a dependent of a veteran with the intent of obtaining benefits or privileges provided by the State or its political subdivisions to veterans or their dependents."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "94th"
identifier: "SB 1491"
citation: "Illinois SB 1491 (94th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 41
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2005-02-23"
last_action: "2005-08-08"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/82e8d743-71fb-4cd3-98b6-f6f49ea6e8e4"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=1491&GAID=8&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=19539&SessionID=50&GA=94"
source_hash: "b9e8f36b80046519cec310a9b0e9ca918f670205acb2e23c8bbbcaff3a9420fd"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-il"]
---

# Illinois SB 1491 (94th) — CRIM CD-VETERANS BEN FRAUD

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that State benefits fraud is a Class 3 felony if $300 or less is obtained and a Class 2 felony if more than $300 is obtained (rather than a Class 4 felony if the amount of benefits obtained is $300 or less and a Class 3 felony if more than $300 is obtained) if a person knowingly misrepresents oneself as a veteran or as a dependent of a veteran with the intent of obtaining benefits or privileges provided by the State or its political subdivisions to veterans or their dependents.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09400SB1491&GA=94&SessionId=50&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=19539&DocNum=1491&GAID=8&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09400SB1491eng&GA=94&SessionId=50&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=19539&DocNum=1491&GAID=8&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09400SB1491enr&GA=94&SessionId=50&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=19539&DocNum=1491&GAID=8&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **55–0** (pass) · upper
- Third Reading — **109–4** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Adeline Jay Geo-Karis — primary (person)
- Careen M Gordon — cosponsor (person)
- Daniel V. Beiser — cosponsor (person)
- David Reis — cosponsor (person)
- Edward J. Acevedo — cosponsor (person)
- John E. Bradley — cosponsor (person)
- Linda Chapa LaVia — cosponsor (person)
- Lisa M. Dugan — cosponsor (person)
- Naomi D. Jakobsson — cosponsor (person)
- Robert F. Flider — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2005-02-23** Filed with Secretary by Sen. Adeline Jay Geo-Karis `filing`
- **2005-02-23** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2005-02-23** Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2005-03-02** Assigned to Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2005-03-09** Do Pass Judiciary; 007-003-000 `committee-passage`
- **2005-03-09** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading March 10, 2005
- **2005-03-16** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2005-03-16** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading March 17, 2005
- **2005-04-08** Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins
- **2005-04-08** Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. James T. Meeks
- **2005-04-11** Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Martin A. Sandoval
- **2005-04-11** Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Mattie Hunter
- **2005-04-11** Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Antonio Munoz
- **2005-04-11** Third Reading - Passed; 055-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2005-04-11** Arrived in House `introduction`
- **2005-04-11** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading `reading-1`
- **2005-04-12** Chief House Sponsor Rep. James H. Meyer
- **2005-04-12** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2005-04-12** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2005-04-13** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia
- **2005-04-13** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Edward J. Acevedo
- **2005-04-14** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. JoAnn D. Osmond
- **2005-04-14** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Mark H. Beaubien, Jr.
- **2005-04-20** Assigned to Judiciary II - Criminal Law Committee `referral-committee`
- **2005-04-27** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Careen M Gordon
- **2005-04-28** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Naomi D. Jakobsson
- **2005-05-03** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Lisa M. Dugan
- **2005-05-05** Do Pass / Short Debate Judiciary II - Criminal Law Committee; 016-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2005-05-05** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2005-05-05** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Daniel V. Beiser
- **2005-05-05** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. John E. Bradley
- **2005-05-11** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2005-05-11** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2005-05-17** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Robert F. Flider
- **2005-05-18** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 109-004-002 `reading-3, passage`
- **2005-05-18** Passed Both Houses
- **2005-05-19** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. David Reis
- **2005-06-16** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2005-08-08** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2005-08-08** Effective Date January 1, 2006
- **2005-08-08** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 94-0486 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/82e8d743-71fb-4cd3-98b6-f6f49ea6e8e4`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).