Public Act 095-0597
 
SB0597 Enrolled LRB095 04478 DRJ 24525 b

    AN ACT concerning veterans.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
National Guard Veterans Exposure to Hazardous Materials Act.
 
    Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
    "Depleted uranium" means uranium containing less
uranium-235 than the naturally occurring distribution of
uranium isotopes.
    "Eligible member" means a member of the Illinois National
Guard who served in the Persian Gulf War, as defined in 38
U.S.C. 101, or in an area designated as a combat zone by the
President of the United States during Operation Enduring
Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom.
    "Military physician" includes a physician who is under
contract with the United States Department of Defense to
provide physician services to members of the armed forces.
    "Veteran" means any person honorably discharged from, or
released under honorable conditions from active service in, the
armed forces who served as an eligible member.
 
    Section 10. Assistance in obtaining information on
treatment. On and after October 1, 2007, the Department of
Veterans' Affairs shall assist any eligible member or veteran
who (i) has been assigned a risk level I, II, or III for
depleted uranium exposure by his or her branch of service, (ii)
is referred by a military physician, or (iii) has reason to
believe that he or she was exposed to depleted uranium during
such service, in obtaining information on available federal
treatment services, including a best practice health screening
test for exposure to depleted uranium using a bioassay
procedure involving sensitive methods capable of detecting
depleted uranium at low levels and the use of equipment with
the capacity to discriminate between different radioisotopes
in naturally occurring levels of uranium and the characteristic
ratio and marker for depleted uranium. No State funds shall be
used to pay for such tests or other federal treatment services.
 
    Section 15. Certification concerning National Guard
information. On or before October 1, 2007, the Adjutant General
shall certify to the General Assembly that members of the
Illinois National Guard are informed of possible health risks
associated with exposure to depleted uranium. The
certification shall apply to both predeployment and
post-mobilization information activities and post-deployment
health screening.
 
    Section 20. Task force.
    (a) There is established a task force within the Department
of Veterans' Affairs to study the possible health effects of
the exposure to hazardous materials, including, but not limited
to, depleted uranium, as they relate to military service. The
task force shall do the following:
        (1) Consider initiation of a health registry for
    veterans returning from Afghanistan, Iraq, or other
    countries in which depleted uranium or other hazardous
    materials may be found.
        (2) Develop a plan for an outreach plan to ensure that
    veterans and military personnel are informed of available
    resources.
        (3) Prepare a report for service members concerning
    potential exposure to depleted uranium and other toxic
    chemical substances and the precautions recommended under
    combat and noncombat conditions while in a combat zone.
        (4) Make any other recommendations the task force
    considers appropriate.
    (b) The task force shall consist of the following members:
        (1) The Adjutant General or his or her designee.
        (2) The Director of Veterans' Affairs or his or her
    designee.
        (3) The Director of Public Health or his or her
    designee.
        (4) Eight members who are members of the General
    Assembly, appointed 2 each by the President of the Senate
    and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and 2 each
    by the Minority Leader of the Senate and the Minority
    Leader of the House of Representatives.
        (5) Two members who are veterans with knowledge of or
    experience with exposure to hazardous materials, appointed
    one each by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of
    the House of Representatives.
        (6) Four members who are physicians or scientists with
    knowledge of or experience in the detection or health
    effects of exposure to depleted uranium or other hazardous
    materials, appointed one each by the President of the
    Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of
    the House of Representatives, and the Minority Leader of
    the House of Representatives.
    (c) All appointments to the task force shall be made no
later than 30 days after the effective date of this Act. Any
vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority.
    (d) The members of the task force shall select as
chairpersons of the task force one Senator and one
Representative from among the members appointed under
paragraph (4) of subsection (b) of this Section. The
chairpersons shall schedule the first meeting of the task
force, which shall be held no later than 60 days after the
effective date of this Act.
    (e) Not later than January 31, 2008, the task force shall
submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the
General Assembly. The task force shall terminate on the date
that it submits the report or on January 31, 2008, whichever is
earlier.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.