Heroes' Medals Would Be Protected by New State Law

With the Memorial Day holiday under way, is reiterating his support for a a bill that would prohibit lost or abandoned military medals from being sold by the state under future administrations.

This is a bipartisan effort to keep Illinois residents’ military medals safe. State Sen. Iris Martinez (D-Chicago) sponsored the legislation in the Illinois Senate.

“This piece of legislation is very important, especially during war time,” Martinez said. “It will benefit many Illinois families in the future.”

Banks and other financial institutions are required to turn over military medals found in lost and abandoned safe deposit boxes to the Unclaimed Property Division of the Treasurer’s Office if the owners cannot be located for five years. The state holds the valuables in its vault at the Capitol in Springfield while it attempts to find the rightful owners or heirs.

Unlike other types of unclaimed property, the state does not now send the medals to auction. Instead, the medals are displayed at events throughout the state including at veteran’s events through the Operation Search and Restore program, in an attempt to find their proper homes. House Bill 5904 makes the program law and makes certain that Operation Search and Restore is also law,

“It is important that we make every effort to reunite these military medals with the heroes who dedicated their lives to protect our freedom.” Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said. “We want to make sure that they are never sold in the future, according to Illinois law.”

State Rep. Ron Stephens (R- Highland) is a sponsor of the legislation in the Illinois House of Representatives. He earned a Purple Heart and Bronze Star in Vietnam.

“These awards are symbols of outstanding service to our country that are kept in military families for generations,” Stephens said. “We need to make sure that there is a procedure in Illinois law to get those medals back to those families if they come to the state as abandoned property.”

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