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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, On September 11, 2001, enemy terrorist action
3destroyed the World Trade Center in New York City; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Over 63,000 first responders assembled at the site
5of the World Trade Center to provide emergency assistance under
6unimaginable conditions; the wreckage of the building
7contained large quantities of toxic substances which have had,
8and will continue to have, significant effects upon the health
9status and quality of life of many of these first responders;
10and
 
11    WHEREAS, Approximately 170 of these 9/11 first responders
12currently reside in Illinois; and
 
13    WHEREAS, A federal law, the James Zadroga Act, oversees
14health care and compensation to all on this list of 63,000 and
15their survivors; this Act authorizes operation of the World
16Trade Center Health Program for medical monitoring and
17treatment and the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund
18provides compensation for economic damages and loss to
19responders and survivors; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Under the James Zadroga Act, 33,000 first
21responders have been diagnosed with 9/11-related medical

 

 

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1conditions, 10,549 claimants have been determined to be
2eligible for compensation, 7,800 persons have been classified
3as having been injured at the 9/11 site, compensation decisions
4have been made for 4,415 persons, and well more than $1 billion
5has been paid out; and
 
6    WHEREAS, These figures are expected to increase in future
7years due to health diagnoses arising from exposure to 9/11
8conditions; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Despite these needs, the World Trade Center Health
10Program will sunset in October of 2015 and the September 11th
11Victim Compensation Fund will sunset in October of 2016; and
 
12    WHEREAS, United States Senators Mark Kirk of Illinois,
13Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Chuck Schumer of New York, and
14Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, have joined as bipartisan lead
15co-sponsors of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation
16Reauthorization Act; this reauthorization act will extend the
17lifespan of these vital programs and will add additional
18research into the diagnosis and treatment of 9/11-related
19health conditions; therefore, be it
 
20    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
21NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
22call upon the United States Congress to take prompt action to

 

 

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1reauthorize the James Zadroga 9/11 family of programs and to
2fully fund these programs; and be it further
 
3    RESOLVED, That we commend Senators Mark Kirk, Kirsten
4Gillibrand, Chuck Schumer, and Lisa Murkowski for their
5bipartisan sponsorship of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and
6Compensation Reauthorization Act; and be it further
 
7    RESOLVED, That we recognize other federal Senators and
8members of the United States House of Representatives, who are
9also showing their support for these 63,000 first responders;
10and be it further
 
11    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
12presented to the President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, the
13Speaker of the House of the U.S. House of Representatives, and
14each member of the Illinois Congressional Delegation.