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    AN ACT concerning veterans.

 
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    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
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represented in the General Assembly:

 
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    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 
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National Guard Veterans Exposure to Hazardous Materials Act.
 
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    Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
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    "Depleted uranium" means uranium containing less 
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uranium-235 than the naturally occurring distribution of 
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uranium isotopes.
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    "Eligible member" means a member of the Illinois National 
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Guard who served in the Persian Gulf War, as defined in 38 
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U.S.C. 101, or in an area designated as a combat zone by the 
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President of the United States during Operation Enduring 
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Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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    "Military physician" includes a physician who is under 
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contract with the United States Department of Defense to 
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provide physician services to members of the armed forces.
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    "Veteran" means any person honorably discharged from, or 
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released under honorable conditions from active service in, the 
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armed forces who served as an eligible member.
 
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    Section 10. Assistance in obtaining information on 
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treatment. On and after October 1, 2007, the Department of 
 


 






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Veterans' Affairs shall assist any eligible member or veteran 
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who (i) has been assigned a risk level I, II, or III for 
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depleted uranium exposure by his or her branch of service, (ii) 
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is referred by a military physician, or (iii) has reason to 
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believe that he or she was exposed to depleted uranium during 
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such service, in obtaining information on available federal 
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treatment services, including a best practice health screening 
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test for exposure to depleted uranium using a bioassay 
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procedure involving sensitive methods capable of detecting 
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depleted uranium at low levels and the use of equipment with 
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the capacity to discriminate between different radioisotopes 
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in naturally occurring levels of uranium and the characteristic 
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ratio and marker for depleted uranium. No State funds shall be 
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used to pay for such tests or other federal treatment services.
 
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    Section 15. Certification concerning National Guard 
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information. On or before October 1, 2007, the Adjutant General 
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shall certify to the General Assembly that members of the 
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Illinois National Guard are informed of possible health risks 
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associated with exposure to depleted uranium. The 
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certification shall apply to both predeployment and 
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post-mobilization information activities and post-deployment 
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health screening.
 
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    Section 20. Task force. 
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    (a) There is established a task force within the Department 
 


 






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of Veterans' Affairs to study the possible health effects of 
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the exposure to hazardous materials, including, but not limited 
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to, depleted uranium, as they relate to military service. The 
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task force shall do the following: 
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        (1) Consider initiation of a health registry for 
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    veterans returning from Afghanistan, Iraq, or other 
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    countries in which depleted uranium or other hazardous 
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    materials may be found.
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        (2) Develop a plan for an outreach plan  to ensure that 
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    veterans and military personnel are informed of available 
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    resources.
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        (3) Prepare a report for service members concerning 
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    potential exposure to depleted uranium and other toxic

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    chemical substances and the precautions recommended under 
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    combat
and noncombat conditions while in a combat zone.
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        (4) Make any
other recommendations the task force 
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    considers appropriate.

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    (b) The task force shall consist of the following members:

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        (1) The Adjutant General or his or her designee.
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        (2) The Director of Veterans' Affairs or his or her 
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    designee.
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        (3) The Director of Public Health or his or her 
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    designee.
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        (4) Eight members who are members of the General 
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    Assembly,
appointed 2 each by the President of the Senate 
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    and the
Speaker of the House of Representatives and 2 each 
 


 






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    by the Minority Leader of the Senate and the Minority 
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    Leader of the House of Representatives.
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        (5) Two members who are veterans with knowledge of or

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    experience with exposure to hazardous materials, appointed 
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    one each
by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of 
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    the
House of Representatives.
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        (6) Four members who are physicians or scientists with 
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    knowledge
of or experience in the detection or health 
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    effects of exposure to
depleted uranium or other hazardous 
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    materials, appointed one each
by the President of the 
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    Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the
Speaker of 
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    the House of Representatives, and the Minority Leader of 
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    the House of Representatives.

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    (c) All appointments to the task force shall be made no 
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later than
30 days after the effective date of this Act. Any 
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vacancy shall be
filled by the appointing authority.

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    (d) The members of the task force shall select as 
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chairpersons of the
task force one Senator and one 
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Representative from among the
members appointed under 
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paragraph (4) of subsection (b) of this
Section. The 
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chairpersons shall schedule the first meeting of the task

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force, which shall be held no later than 60 days after the 
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effective
date of this Act.

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    (e) Not later than January 31, 2008, the task force shall 
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submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the 
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General Assembly. The task force shall terminate on the date 
 


 






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that it submits the report or on January 31, 2008, whichever is 
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earlier.
 

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    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
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becoming law.