Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia

Filed: 5/25/2007

 

 


 

 


 
09500SB0597ham003 LRB095 04478 DRJ 37082 a

1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 597

2     AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 597, AS AMENDED, by
3 replacing everything after the enacting clause with the
4 following:
 
5     "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
6 National Guard Veterans Exposure to Hazardous Materials Act.
 
7     Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
8     "Depleted uranium" means uranium containing less
9 uranium-235 than the naturally occurring distribution of
10 uranium isotopes.
11     "Eligible member" means a member of the Illinois National
12 Guard who served in the Persian Gulf War, as defined in 38
13 U.S.C. 101, or in an area designated as a combat zone by the
14 President of the United States during Operation Enduring
15 Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom.
16     "Military physician" includes a physician who is under

 

 

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1 contract with the United States Department of Defense to
2 provide physician services to members of the armed forces.
3     "Veteran" means any person honorably discharged from, or
4 released under honorable conditions from active service in, the
5 armed forces who served as an eligible member.
 
6     Section 10. Assistance in obtaining information on
7 treatment. On and after October 1, 2007, the Department of
8 Veterans' Affairs shall assist any eligible member or veteran
9 who (i) has been assigned a risk level I, II, or III for
10 depleted uranium exposure by his or her branch of service, (ii)
11 is referred by a military physician, or (iii) has reason to
12 believe that he or she was exposed to depleted uranium during
13 such service, in obtaining information on available federal
14 treatment services, including a best practice health screening
15 test for exposure to depleted uranium using a bioassay
16 procedure involving sensitive methods capable of detecting
17 depleted uranium at low levels and the use of equipment with
18 the capacity to discriminate between different radioisotopes
19 in naturally occurring levels of uranium and the characteristic
20 ratio and marker for depleted uranium. No State funds shall be
21 used to pay for such tests or other federal treatment services.
 
22     Section 15. Certification concerning National Guard
23 information. On or before October 1, 2007, the Adjutant General
24 shall certify to the General Assembly that members of the

 

 

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1 Illinois National Guard are informed of possible health risks
2 associated with exposure to depleted uranium. The
3 certification shall apply to both predeployment and
4 post-mobilization information activities and post-deployment
5 health screening.
 
6     Section 20. Task force.
7     (a) There is established a task force within the Department
8 of Veterans' Affairs to study the possible health effects of
9 the exposure to hazardous materials, including, but not limited
10 to, depleted uranium, as they relate to military service. The
11 task force shall do the following:
12         (1) Consider initiation of a health registry for
13     veterans returning from Afghanistan, Iraq, or other
14     countries in which depleted uranium or other hazardous
15     materials may be found.
16         (2) Develop a plan for an outreach plan to ensure that
17     veterans and military personnel are informed of available
18     resources.
19         (3) Prepare a report for service members concerning
20     potential exposure to depleted uranium and other toxic
21     chemical substances and the precautions recommended under
22     combat and noncombat conditions while in a combat zone.
23         (4) Make any other recommendations the task force
24     considers appropriate.
25     (b) The task force shall consist of the following members:

 

 

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1         (1) The Adjutant General or his or her designee.
2         (2) The Director of Veterans' Affairs or his or her
3     designee.
4         (3) The Director of Public Health or his or her
5     designee.
6         (4) Eight members who are members of the General
7     Assembly, appointed 2 each by the President of the Senate
8     and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and 2 each
9     by the Minority Leader of the Senate and the Minority
10     Leader of the House of Representatives.
11         (5) Two members who are veterans with knowledge of or
12     experience with exposure to hazardous materials, appointed
13     one each by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of
14     the House of Representatives.
15         (6) Four members who are physicians or scientists with
16     knowledge of or experience in the detection or health
17     effects of exposure to depleted uranium or other hazardous
18     materials, appointed one each by the President of the
19     Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of
20     the House of Representatives, and the Minority Leader of
21     the House of Representatives.
22     (c) All appointments to the task force shall be made no
23 later than 30 days after the effective date of this Act. Any
24 vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority.
25     (d) The members of the task force shall select as
26 chairpersons of the task force one Senator and one

 

 

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1 Representative from among the members appointed under
2 paragraph (4) of subsection (b) of this Section. The
3 chairpersons shall schedule the first meeting of the task
4 force, which shall be held no later than 60 days after the
5 effective date of this Act.
6     (e) Not later than January 31, 2008, the task force shall
7 submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the
8 General Assembly. The task force shall terminate on the date
9 that it submits the report or on January 31, 2008, whichever is
10 earlier.
 
11     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
12 becoming law.".