SPRINGFIELD, IL - The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will be able to hire more veterans under new legislation signed into law.

Gov. Pat Quinn signed four veterans-related bills yesterday in honor of the Illinois State Fair's Veterans Day.

One law will allow the agency to hire more veterans as conservation police by waiving the four-year college requirement. The law goes into effect immediately.

Another bill doubles the number of days allotted for military service-related hospital visits for some state employees from two to four days annually.

The other laws deal with treatment records of veterans in the criminal justice system and an expansion of the number of families eligible for special license plate to honor fallen police and firefighters and veterans.