Connecticut 2020 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SJ00018 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
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4	4	LCO No. 2166 1 of 3
5	5
6	6	General Assembly Senate Joint
7	7	Resolution No. 18
8	8	February Session, 2020
9	9	LCO No. 2166
10	10
11	11
12	12	Referred to Committee on VETERANS' AFFAIRS
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14	14
15	15	Introduced by:
16	16	(VA)
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20	20	RESOLUTION MEMORIALI ZING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS
21	21	TO ENACT THE AGENT ORANGE EXPOSURE FAIR NESS ACT OF
22	22	2019.
23	23	Resolved by this Assembly:
24	24
25	25	WHEREAS, Agent Orange was used by the United States military 1
26	26	during the Vietnam War; 2
27	27	WHEREAS, Agent Orange is a potent herbicide that contains a toxic 3
28	28	molecule, known as dioxin; 4
29	29	WHEREAS, many United States military veterans who served in the 5
30	30	Vietnam War were exposed to Agent Orange; 6
31	31	WHEREAS, Agent Orange has been strongly associated with the 7
32	32	development of cancer and birth defects in veterans and their children; 8
33	33	WHEREAS, the likelihood of having a child born with birth defects is 9
34	34	approximately one-third greater for veterans who were exposed to 10
35	35	Agent Orange than for veterans who were not exposed to Agent Orange; 11
36	36	WHEREAS, the United States Code sets forth the requirements that 12 Senate Joint Resolution No. 18
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38	38
39	39	LCO No. 2166 2 of 3
40	40
41	41	must be met in order to grant "presumptions of service connection", or 13
42	42	the assumption that a veteran's disability was caused by service in the 14
43	43	Vietnam War; 15
44	44	WHEREAS, the Department of Veterans Affairs currently provides 16
45	45	presumptions for the following eight conditions: (1) Non-Hodgkin's 17
46	46	lymphoma, (2) Hodgkin's disease, (3) soft-tissue sarcoma (excluding 18
47	47	osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, and mesothelioma), 19
48	48	(4) respiratory cancers, (5) Diabetes Mellitus (type 2), (6) multiple 20
49	49	myeloma, (7) chloracne or other acneform disease, and (8) Porphyria; 21
50	50	WHEREAS, the United States Code requires that any veteran 22
51	51	suffering from chloracne or other acneform disease or from Porphyria 23
52	52	must manifest symptoms of the disease within one year after the end of 24
53	53	such veteran's service in the Vietnam War in order to qualify for 25
54	54	benefits; 26
55	55	WHEREAS, the proposed amendment to the Unites States Code, 27
56	56	known as the Agent Orange Exposure Fairness Act of 2019, would 28
57	57	remove the time-based requirement for veterans suffering from 29
58	58	chloracne or other acneform disease or from Porphyria, allowing 30
59	59	veterans to claim compensation regardless of when their conditions 31
60	60	began, so long as their conditions are on the approved list and manifests 32
61	61	to a degree of disability of ten per cent or more; 33
62	62	WHEREAS, Agent Orange Exposure Fairness Act of 2019 would add 34
63	63	acute and subacute peripheral neuropathy to the list of approved 35
64	64	conditions; 36
65	65	NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Connecticut General 37
66	66	Assembly calls upon the Congress of the United States to protect 38
67	67	veterans exposed to Agent Orange and other herbicides during their 39
68	68	service in the Vietnam War by enacting the Agent Orange Exposure 40
69	69	Fairness Act of 2019; and 41
70	70	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the clerks of the Senate and House 42
71	71	cause copies of this resolution to be sent to each member of the 43 Senate Joint Resolution No. 18
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73	73
74	74	LCO No. 2166 3 of 3
75	75
76	76	Connecticut congressional delegation. 44
77	77