We owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women who have served our nation and safeguarded our freedom. In war and in peace, they have risked their lives for our country.

Attorney General Raoul recognizes that the physical and psychological effects of military duty often continue after the tour of duty ends. Likewise, the country's support for the troops does not stop when they come home. To compensate veterans for the hardships they have suffered in service to our country, the state and federal governments provide them with benefits.

The Attorney General's Military and Veterans Rights Bureau is dedicated to ensuring that veterans and active duty military service members receive the benefits they have earned. The bureau provides men and women with assistance, including case advocacy, health outreach and public advocacy forums. For more information on the services our office provides, please see the links below or contact the Military and Veterans Rights Bureau.

The Illinois Service Member Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (ISERRA)

In 2018, the Attorney General's Office initiated a new law to strengthen our state’s commitment to members of our National Guard & Reserve. The Illinois Service Member Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (ISERRA) ensures Illinois service members’ employment and benefits are protected while they are fulfilling their military requirements.

The law reflects the need to protect our military service members and their right to maintain their civilian jobs while they are serving our country. ISERRA also helps provide information and training for employers across Illinois.

The law also created a new position of ISERRA advocate in the Attorney General’s Office. The ISERRA advocate can assist both service members and employers with information to ensure the rights of service members are protected. For further assistance, please contact the Attorney General’s ISERRA Advocate, Thomas W. W. Banning, at 1-800-382-3000 (TTY: 1-800-964-3013).

To ensure that service members who are also public employees can receive all the benefits they are due while fulfilling their military duty, our office can help with the Differential Pay calculations.

View this self-guided PowerPoint that explains the law and instructs employers, employees and HR professionals in how to calculate payments accurately.

The accompanying worksheet goes step-by-step and includes formulas to generate the payments for specific circumstances.

ISERRA Brochure 
ISERRA Notice 

Military and Veterans Rights Links and Documents:

BOOKLETS

Benefits for Illinois Veterans 2022

Legal Rights of Illinois Service Members 2023

BROCHURES

Veterans’ Consumer Alert: Pension Benefits Scams

Burial Benefits for Illinois Veterans

Hiring & Promotion Preference within State & Local Government

Illinois Service members Civil Relief Act (ISCRA)

Illinois Family Military Leave Act

Line of Duty Compensation Act 

Military Sexual Trauma: Rights and Resources 

Veterans & Traumatic Stress

FACT SHEETS

Military and Veterans’ Rights Fact Sheet

Military and Veterans Rights Bureau Contact Information:

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