HJ0027 LRB099 10154 MST 30377 r
1		HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
2		WHEREAS, From 1961 to 1972, the United States military
3		conducted a large-scale defoliation program aimed at
4		destroying the forest and jungle cover used by enemy North
5		Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops fighting against U.S. and South
6		Vietnamese forces in the Vietnam War; and
7		WHEREAS, The most commonly used, and most effective,
8		mixture of herbicides was Agent Orange, named for the orange
9		stripe painted on the 55-gallon drums in which the mixture was
10		stored; and
11		WHEREAS, Questions regarding Agent Orange arose in the
12		United States after an increasing number of returning Vietnam
13		veterans and their families began to report a range of
14		afflictions, including rashes and other skin irritations,
15		miscarriages, psychological symptoms, Type-2 diabetes, birth
16		defects in children, and cancers such as Hodgkin's disease,
17		prostate cancer, and leukemia; and
18		WHEREAS, Some 400,000 people were killed or maimed as a
19		result of exposure to herbicides like Agent Orange; and
20		WHEREAS, In 1991, President George H.W. Bush signed into
21		law the Agent Orange Act, which mandated that some diseases

HJ0027 - 2 - LRB099 10154 MST 30377 r
1		associated with defoliants (including non-Hodgkin's lymphomas,
2		soft tissue sarcomas, and chloracne) be treated as the result
3		of wartime service and helped codify the Veterans
4		Administration's response to veterans with conditions related
5		to their exposure to Agent Orange; and
6		WHEREAS, The federal VA's Agent Orange Registry Health Exam
7		alerts veterans to possible long-term health problems that may
8		be related to Agent Orange exposure during their military
9		service, and the registry data helps the VA understand and
10		respond to these health problems more effectively; and
11		WHEREAS, This free comprehensive health exam includes an
12		exposure history, medical history, physical exam, and any tests
13		if needed while requiring no copayment; therefore, be it
14		RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
15		NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
16		SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Illinois
17		Task Force on Agent Orange to investigate and form
18		recommendations on how best to communicate with veterans
19		affected by Agent Orange concerning the treatment options
20		available to them; and be it further
21		RESOLVED, The Task Force shall consist of 9 members as
22		follows: (1) one member appointed by The Speaker of the House

HJ0027 - 3 - LRB099 10154 MST 30377 r
1		of Representatives; (2) one member appointed by the Minority
2		Leader of the House of Representatives; (3) one member
3		appointed by the President of the Senate; (4) one member
4		appointed by the Senate Minority leader; (5) the Director of
5		the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs, who shall act as
6		the Chair; (6) one Veterans' Service Officer from the
7		Department of Veterans' Affairs, appointed by the Director of
8		Veterans' Affairs; (7) one representative from the Department
9		of Public Health, appointed by the Director of Public Health;
10		(8) one representative from the Secretary of State's Office,
11		appointed by the Secretary of State; and (9) one representative
12		of local county health departments in Illinois appointed by the
13		Director of Public Health; and be it further
14		RESOLVED, The Task Force shall meet periodically at the
15		discretion of the Chair; and be it further
16		RESOLVED, That the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall
17		provide administrative and other support to the Task Force; and
18		be it further
19		RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall present a report of its
20		findings, which shall include its recommendations for
21		legislation, if any, to the Illinois House of Representatives
22		and the Senate on or before January 1, 2016.