As Amended by Senate Committee
         
Session of 1999
         
House Concurrent Resolution No. 5021
         
By Representatives Thimesch, Aday, Alldritt, Ballou, Barnes, Beggs, Be-
                thell, Boston, Burroughs, Campbell, Compton, Cox, Crow, Dahl,
                Dean, Dreher, Edmonds, Faber, Feuerborn, Findley, Flaharty, Flora,
                Flower, Franklin, Freeborn, Garner, Gatewood, Geringer, Gilbert,
                Gilmore, Glasscock, Grant, Gregory, Hayzlett, Henderson, Henry,
                Horst, Huff, Humerickhouse, Hutchins, Jenkins, Jennison, Johnson,
                Johnston, Kirk, Klein, Kline, Phil, Kline, Phill, Krehbiel, Kuether,
                Lane, Larkin, Light, Lloyd, Long, M., Long, P., Loyd, Mason, Mays,
                McClure, McCreary, McKechnie, McKinney, Minor, Mollenkamp,
                Myers, Nichols, O'Brien, O'Connor, Osborne, Palmer, Pauls, Peter-
                son, E., Phelps, Pottorff, Powell, Powers, Ray, Reardon, Rehorn, Ruff,
                Sharp, Showalter, Shriver, Sloan, Spangler, Stone, Swenson, Tedder,
                Toelkes, Toplikar, Vickrey, Vining, Weber, Weiland, Wells and
                Welshimer
               
2-5
         

23             A  CONCURRENT  RESOLUTION memorializing the President and
24             the United States Congress to take action to provide funds for inde-
25             pendent research into illnesses suffered by Gulf War veterans and to
26             initiate more effective programs to assist Gulf War veterans and their
27             families, and urging the Governor of Kansas and appropriate heads of
28             Kansas state agencies to continue efforts in support of the Kansas Per-
29             sian Gulf War Veterans Health Initiative.
30      
31             WHEREAS,  Nearly 700,000 United States troops, including 7,500
32       Kansans, deployed to the Persian Gulf region in Operation Desert Shield
33       and Operation Desert Storm to liberate Kuwait; and
34             WHEREAS,  Federal research efforts have not yet identified the prev-
35       alence, patterns, causes or treatments for illnesses suffered by Gulf War
36       veterans; and
37             WHEREAS,  Nationwide, very few Gulf War veterans who have ap-
38       plied for disability compensation for undiagnosed illnesses from the
39       United States Department of Veterans Affairs have received compensa-
40       tion; and
41             WHEREAS,  The Kansas Persian Gulf War Veterans Health Initiative
42       has surveyed 2031 Kansas Gulf War-era veterans; and
43             WHEREAS,  The Kansas Gulf War Veterans Health Study preliminary

HCR 5021--Am. by S

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  1       results indicate that 30% of deployed veterans suffer from a complex of
  2       symptoms characterized by fatigue, joint and muscle pain, cognitive and
  3       mood disturbances, and a variable array of respiratory, gastrointestinal,
  4       neurological, skin, and auditory problems, collectively identified as Gulf
  5       War illness; and
  6             WHEREAS,  The Kansas Gulf War Veterans Health Study indicates
  7       that Gulf War illness occurs in identifiable patterns, including differences
  8       by areas of deployment; and
  9             WHEREAS,  The Kansas Gulf War Veterans Health Study indicates
10       that among veterans who did not deploy to the Gulf War, Gulf War illness
11       occurs at a significantly higher rate among veterans who received vaccines
12       during that period than those who did not receive vaccines; and
13             WHEREAS,  The Kansas Gulf War Veterans Health Study indicates
14       that children of Gulf War veterans born since the war were significantly
15       more likely to have been born with health problems, including birth de-
16       fects, than children born to nondeployed veterans during the same period;
17       and
18             WHEREAS,  The Kansas Gulf War Veterans Health Study indicates
19       that most deployed veterans with Gulf War illness continue to be em-
20       ployed, but 79% say their health affects their ability to work; and
21             WHEREAS,  The Kansas Gulf War Veterans Health Study indicates
22       that Kansas veterans who deployed to the Gulf War are significantly less
23       likely to receive disability compensation from the United States Depart-
24       ment of Veterans Affairs than nondeployed veterans of the same era:
25       Now, therefore,
26             WHEREAS,  Kansas has thousands of deployable troops at facil-
27       ities such as Fort Riley, Fort Leavenworth, McConnell Air Base, as
28       well as reservists and members of our Kansas National Guard; and
29             WHEREAS,  The results of the Kansas Persian Gulf War Veterans
30       Health Initiative are very troubling, we must do all we can to pre-
31       vent a repeat of "Gulf War illness" in any future conflict that affects
32       our Kansas military men and women: Now, therefore,
33             Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Kansas,
34       the Senate concurring therein: That we, the Kansas Legislature, believe
35       that Gulf War illness has had a severe negative impact on the physical
36       and emotional well-being of Gulf War veterans who honorably served
37       Kansas and the United States; and
38             Be it further resolved: That we memorialize the President and the
39       Congress of the United States to provide funding for Gulf War illness
40       research independent of that administered by the United States Depart-
41       ments of Defense and Veterans Affairs; and to establish a process of
42       independent review of federal policies and programs associated with Gulf
43       War illness research, benefits, and health care; and

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  1             Be it further resolved: That we urge the Governor of Kansas, the
  2       Secretary of Health and Environment, the Kansas Commission on Vet-
  3       erans Affairs, and other appropriate state agency heads to take action to
  4       continue to investigate Gulf War illness and promote programs to inform
  5       and assist Kansas Gulf War veterans and family members suffering from
  6       Gulf War illness; and
  7             Be it further resolved: That we urge our Kansas Congressional
  8       Delegation to coordinate acquisition of federal grants from the Na-
  9       tional Institute of Health (N.I.H.) or other federal sources to seek
10       causes and cures for Gulf War illness; and
11             Be it further resolved: That we urge our Kansas Congressional
12       Delegation to build coalitions with other states to call on Congress
13       and the administration for action in investigating and finding an-
14       swers to Gulf War illness; and
15             Be it further resolved: That we encourage our Kansas Congres-
16       sional Delegation to meet with members of the Kansas Persian Gulf
17       War Veterans Initiative to coordinate efforts on the federal level;
18       and
19             Be it further resolved: That the Secretary of State be directed to pro-
20       vide an enrolled copy of this resolution to the President of the United
21       States, the Vice-President of the United States, the Speaker of the United
22       States House of Representatives, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary
23       of Veterans Affairs, and to each member of the Kansas Congressional
24       delegation; to the Governor of the State of Kansas, the Secretary of
25       Health and Environment, the Secretary of Human Resources, and the
26       Chairman of the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs; and to the Na-
27       tional and State Commanders of the American Legion, the Veterans of
28       Foreign Wars and the Disabled American Veterans.
29