New Illinois law protects service members from foreclosures

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn marked Memorial Day weekend by signing two bills that support the state’s military personnel by increasing foreclosure protections for active-duty service members and expanding the availability of a $100 service compensation through the state’s War on Terrorism Compensation Act (WTCA). “Memorial Day is a day we should all set aside to honor those who have bravely and selflessly given their lives defending our freedom,” Quinn said in a statement. “These important new laws ensure that we support our service members both while they are away serving our country and when they return to the homefront.”

House Bill 3762 allows service members to apply for a 90-day stay of their mortgage foreclosure procedures while on active duty if they apply in writing. The bill increases the rights afforded to active-duty members under the federal Service Members Civil Relief Act.

Senate Bill 3128 expands the WTCA, which was signed into law last year to allow Illinois service members and veterans who served on active duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001, to receive $100. WTCA recipients must have been a resident of Illinois for at least 12 months; be on active duty, honorably discharged, in reserves, or retired; and have received the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal or the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. The new bill extends the benefit to service members who have received the Afghanistan or Iraq Campaign Medal. The change in the WTCA was needed because many service members receive the Afghanistan or Iraq Campaign Medals in lieu of the two specified in the original legislation, according to Quinn’s office.

Read Quinn’s full statement.