WHEREAS, Many Kansas military personnel were deployed to the Persian Gulf region in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm to liberate Kuwait and 707 Kansas veterans are now currently on the Persian Gulf Registry; and
WHEREAS, Kansas service personnel were exposed not only to the hazards of war, but to an unknown variety of other potential health haz- ards, including exposure to smoke from oil well fires, depleted uranium and infections biological weapons; and
WHEREAS, Many Kansans who served in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm have reported wide-ranging medical prob- lems that reportedly began during service, or shortly after return from the Persian Gulf, and that have not been accurately diagnosed, explained or treated; and
WHEREAS, There appears to be evidence that family members of Gulf War veterans are experiencing health problems related to Gulf War illnesses; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Defense has been conducting re- search into the causes of symptoms that have collectively come to be called ``Gulf War Syndrome'' for over three years and during that time the Department has apparently failed to make any substantive scientific progress in determining the causes, effects and transmissibility of, or in treating this disabling and sometimes fatal syndrome: Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Kansas, the Senate concurring therein: That we urge the Governor of Kansas, the Secretary of Health and Environment, the executive director of the Commission on Veterans' Affairs, other appropriate state agency heads and veterans service organizations to take action to create a state registry that would include spouses and family members of veterans and anyone else in the State of Kansas that has symptoms of Gulf War illness for the purpose of identifying and compiling a record of those ill; and
Be it further resolved: That other agencies and groups like the Vet- erans of Foreign Wars (VFW), American Legion, Disabled American Vet- erans, support groups, and other interested individuals, agencies and groups should work together to inform the public about this Gulf War registry, develop support for the registry and help raise funds that will be used to pay for the registry; and
Be it further resolved: That the Secretary of State be directed to send enrolled copies of this resolution to the Governor of Kansas, the Secretary of Health and Environment and the executive director of the Commission on Veterans' Affairs and to the state headquarters of each of the following organizations: American Legion, AmVets, Disabled American Veterans and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). [j82]House March 15, 1996 [j82]Senate April 5, 1996