BILL ANALYSIS �
AJR 46
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AJR 46 (Frazier)
As Amended June 30, 2014
Majority Vote
VETERANS AFFAIRS 9-0
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|Ayes:|Quirk-Silva, Ch�vez, | | |
| |Brown, Eggman, Fox, | | |
| |Grove, Muratsuchi, Salas, | | |
| |Yamada | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Urges the United States Congress to pass, and the
United States President to sign into law, Senate Bill 1602
(Blumenthal) of the 113th United States Congress (2013-14), The
Toxic Exposure Research and Military Family Support Act of 2013,
and House Resolution 4816 (Honda) of the 113th United States
Congress (2013-14), and encourages the members of the California
Congressional Delegation to join as coauthors on the bill.
COMMENTS : Both Senate Bill 1602, the Toxic Exposure Research
and Military Family Support Act of 2013 and House Resolution
4816 direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to:
1)Select a medical center in the Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) to serve as the national center for the diagnosis,
treatment, and research of health conditions of descendants
(i.e., a biological child, grandchild, or great-grandchild) of
individuals exposed to toxic substances while serving as
members of the Armed Forces that are related to that exposure;
2)Establish an advisory board to advise the center to determine
which health conditions result from exposure to toxic
substances and to study and evaluate cases of exposure of
current and former members of the Armed Forces to toxic
substances; and
3)Establish an Office of Extramural Research to conduct research
on wounds, illnesses, injuries, and other conditions suffered
by active members of the Armed Forces resulting from exposure
to toxic substances and to assist the Advisory Board in
considering claims of exposure to toxic substances.
AJR 46
Page 2
4)Extend eligibility for medical care and caregiver assistance
to descendants of a veteran who was exposed to toxic
substances while serving as a member of the Armed Forces if:
a) The descendent has a health condition resulting from
exposure to toxic substances and is homebound due to such
condition, and
b) The veteran has or had the same health condition.
5)Authorize the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to declassify
documents (other than documents that would materially and
immediately threaten national security) related to any known
incident in which not less than 100 members of the Armed
Forces were exposed to a toxic substance that resulted in at
least one case of disability.
6)Direct the VA Secretary, the Secretary of Health and Human
Services, and the DOD Secretary to jointly conduct a national
outreach and education campaign directed at members of the
Armed Forces, veterans, and their family members to
communicate information on incidents of exposure to toxic
substances, health conditions resulting from such exposure,
and the potential long-term effects of such exposure.
COMMENTS : The amendments to the measure simply reflect that in
addition to House Resolution 4816, there is another pending
action in the United States Congress on this same subject in the
form of Senate Bill 1602. This latter bill was omitted from the
previous version of this resolution. The amendments do not
change the policy expressed by the measure as it was heard in
this committee.
Analysis Prepared by : Jenny Callison / V.A. / (916) 319-3550
FN: 0004155