00                       SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 28                                                                    
01 Urging the United States Congress to pass S. 1602, the Toxic Exposure Research and                                      
02 Military Family Support Act of 2013.                                                                                    
03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
04       WHEREAS the United States military sprayed millions of gallons of Agent Orange                                  
05 and other herbicides on vegetation in Vietnam during the Vietnam War; and                                               
06       WHEREAS Vietnam veterans and their children continue to suffer ill health effects                               
07 from exposure to those herbicides; and                                                                                  
08       WHEREAS individuals exposed to Agent Orange suffer from Hodgkin's disease,                                      
09 Parkinson's disease, prostate cancer, respiratory cancers, and chronic B-cell leukemia; and                             
10       WHEREAS descendants of individuals exposed to Agent Orange have suffered from                                   
11 spina bifida and other birth defects; and                                                                               
12       WHEREAS the United States Secretary of Defense should immediately declassify                                    
13 documents related to known incidents in which individuals were exposed to toxic chemicals                               
14 and suffered disability as a result; and                                                                                
15       WHEREAS the United States Department of Veterans Affairs should develop a                                       
16 medical center to serve as the national center for the diagnosis, treatment, and research of                            
01 health conditions of descendants of individuals exposed to toxic substances while serving as                            
02 members of the armed forces of the United States; and                                                                   
03       WHEREAS an advisory board should be created to advise that medical center on                                    
04 health conditions resulting from exposure to toxic substances and to study and evaluate cases                           
05 of exposure to toxic substances of current and former members of the armed forces of the                                
06 United States; and                                                                                                      
07       WHEREAS there is a need to establish an office of extramural research to conduct                                
08 research on wounds, illnesses, injuries, and other conditions resulting from exposure to toxic                          
09 substances suffered by active members of the armed forces of the United States and to assist                            
10 the Advisory Board in considering claims of exposure to toxic substances; and                                           
11       WHEREAS the federal government should conduct a national outreach and education                                 
12 campaign directed at members of the armed forces, veterans, and their family members to                                 
13 educate them about the health conditions resulting from exposure to toxic substances; and                               
14       WHEREAS S. 1602 was introduced in the United States Senate on October 29, 2013,                                 
15 by Senator Richard Blumenthal; and                                                                                      
16       WHEREAS S. 1602 would establish a national center for the diagnosis, treatment,                                 
17 and research of health conditions of descendants of veterans exposed to toxic substances                                
18 during service in the armed forces of the United States, provide services to those descendants,                         
19 and establish an advisory board on exposure to toxic substances;                                                        
20       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the United States                                        
21 Congress to pass S. 1602, the Toxic Exposure Research and Military Family Support Act of                                
22 2013 and to establish a national center for the diagnosis, treatment, and research of health                            
23 conditions of descendants of veterans exposed to toxic substances.                                                      
24       COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Barack Obama, President of                             
25 the United States; the Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Vice-President of the United States and                          
26 President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable John Boehner, Speaker of the U.S. House of                                  
27 Representatives; the Honorable Harry Reid, Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate; the                                      
28 Honorable Chuck Hagel, United States Secretary of Defense; the Honorable Eric K. Shinseki,                              
29 United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs; Verdie Bowen, Director, Office of Veterans                                 
30 Affairs, Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski                                 
31 and the Honorable Mark Begich, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S.                                         
01 Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.