California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Joint Resolution No. 46

Introduced by Assembly Member Frazier

May 1, 2014

Assembly Joint Resolution No. 46—Relative to veterans.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AJR 46, as introduced, Frazier. Birth anomalies: children of veterans.

This measure would urge the United States Congress to pass, and the United States President to sign into law, Senate Bill 1602, and the House of Representatives to write and pass a companion bill, and encourage the members of the California Congressional Delegation to join as coauthors on the bill.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, Over the years millions have served our great
nation in the Armed Forces of the United States. During their
service many have been exposed to toxins with unknown
consequences. Most of these veterans did not know they were
exposed to harmful materials, with many of these veterans suffering
from the harmful effects of these toxins; and

WHEREAS, Many children and grandchildren of these veterans
were born with both structural and nonstructural defects. Some
have been accepted by the United States Department of Veterans
Affairs as a result of the exposures from their parent’s service; and

WHEREAS, Birth anomalies in the children of veterans are not
tracked as normal birth defects, so most go unreported,
unexplained, and not researched. These anomalies have some
similarities but follow mostly unreported and under researched
paths; and

WHEREAS, Most states that have birth defect registries do not
report to a national registry. Miscarriages and still births are seldom
researched for cause, these are not tracked on a national registry.
Even death and defects at military hospitals relating to the children
of dependants are not tracked or not put into a federal registry; and

WHEREAS, The United States Department of Veterans Affairs
and the Department of Defense have been tracking toxic exposures
and possible exposures without followup research on the veterans
and their offspring; and

WHEREAS, Parents of children with birth defects carry a heavy
emotional and financial burden. Veterans that have been exposed
to toxins normally have a shorter lifespan than others of their
generation. Someone will need to cover costs and care for the
children left behind; and

WHEREAS, Senate Bill 1602 would create a center of
excellence to test, study, and find solutions to the illnesses and
anomalies affecting the children of veterans from all era’s and duty
stations. This center would be created within the United States
Department of Veteran Affairs and monitored by committees to
ensure transparency. Senate Bill 1602 would also create a database
of birth defects and anomalies both structural and nonstructural;
now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
California, jointly, That the Legislature respectfully urges the
United States Congress to pass, and the United States President to
sign into law, Senate Bill 1602, and the House of Representatives
to write and pass a companion bill, and encourages the members
of the California Congressional Delegation to join as coauthors
on the bill; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
States and to the members of the United States Congress.