HJ0027 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0027 LRB099 10154 MST 30377 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, From 1961 to 1972, the United States military conducted a large-scale defoliation program aimed at destroying the forest and jungle cover used by enemy North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops fighting against U.S. and South Vietnamese forces in the Vietnam War; and

WHEREAS, The most commonly used, and most effective, mixture of herbicides was Agent Orange, named for the orange stripe painted on the 55-gallon drums in which the mixture was stored; and

WHEREAS, Questions regarding Agent Orange arose in the United States after an increasing number of returning Vietnam veterans and their families began to report a range of afflictions, including rashes and other skin irritations, miscarriages, psychological symptoms, Type-2 diabetes, birth defects in children, and cancers such as Hodgkin's disease, prostate cancer, and leukemia; and

WHEREAS, Some 400,000 people were killed or maimed as a result of exposure to herbicides like Agent Orange; and

WHEREAS, In 1991, President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Agent Orange Act, which mandated that some diseases associated with defoliants (including non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, soft tissue sarcomas, and chloracne) be treated as the result of wartime service and helped codify the Veterans Administration's response to veterans with conditions related to their exposure to Agent Orange; and

WHEREAS, The federal VA's Agent Orange Registry Health Exam alerts veterans to possible long-term health problems that may be related to Agent Orange exposure during their military service, and the registry data helps the VA understand and respond to these health problems more effectively; and

WHEREAS, This free comprehensive health exam includes an exposure history, medical history, physical exam, and any tests if needed while requiring no copayment; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Illinois Task Force on Agent Orange to investigate and form recommendations on how best to communicate with veterans affected by Agent Orange concerning the treatment options available to them; and be it further

RESOLVED, The Task Force shall consist of 9 members as follows: (1) one member appointed by The Speaker of the House of Representatives; (2) one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives; (3) one member appointed by the President of the Senate; (4) one member appointed by the Senate Minority leader; (5) the Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs, who shall act as the Chair; (6) one Veterans' Service Officer from the Department of Veterans' Affairs, appointed by the Director of Veterans' Affairs; (7) one representative from the Department of Public Health, appointed by the Director of Public Health; (8) one representative from the Secretary of State's Office, appointed by the Secretary of State; and (9) one representative of local county health departments in Illinois appointed by the Director of Public Health; and be it further

RESOLVED, The Task Force shall meet periodically at the discretion of the Chair; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall provide administrative and other support to the Task Force; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall present a report of its findings, which shall include its recommendations for legislation, if any, to the Illinois House of Representatives and the Senate on or before January 1, 2016.