http://www.traprockpeace.org/depleted_uranium.html
http://www.traprockpeace.org/la_hb_570.pdf
ACT No. 69
Regular Session, 2005
HOUSE BILL NO. 570
BY REPRESENTATIVES LAFONTA AND JEFFERSON
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of
Louisiana.
AN ACT
To enact R.S. 29:41, relative to exposure to depleted uranium; to provide for
definitions; to provide for screening of certain members of the armed forces
of the United States; to provide for reports on training; to prohibit state funding
of the costs of the testing; and to provide for related matters.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
Section 1. R.S. 29:41 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
41. Exposure to depleted uranium
A. For the purposes of this Section, the following terms shall have the following
meanings:
(1) "Depleted uranium" means uranium containing less uranium-235 than
the naturally occurring distribution of uranium isotopes.
(2) "Eligible member" means a member who served in the Persian Gulf War, as
defined in 38 USC 101, or in an area designated as a combat zone by the
president of the United States during Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation
Iraqi Freedom.
(3) "Member of the armed forces" or "member" means a member of the armed
forces of the United States, including the Louisiana National Guard, who
is a resident of this state.
(4) "Veteran" means a member who served as an eligible member.
B. On and after October 1, 2005, any eligible member or veteran who returns or
has returned to this state after service in an area designated as a combat zone
by the president of the United States and who has been assigned a risk level
I or II for depleted uranium exposure by his branch or service, or any other
member or veteran are additions. who has reason to believe that he was exposed
to depleted uranium during such service, shall have the right to a best practice
health screening test for exposure to depleted uranium using a bioassay procedure
involving sensitive methods capable of detecting depleted uranium at low levels
and the use of equipment with the capacity to discriminate between different
radioisotopes in naturally occurring levels of uranium and the characteristic
ratio and marker for depleted uranium.
C. On or before October 1, 2005, the adjutant general of the Louisiana
National Guard shall submit a report to the House Judiciary Committee and Senate
Judiciary B Committee on the scope and adequacy of training received by members
of the armed forces on detecting whether their service as eligible members is
likely to entail, or to have entailed, exposure to depleted uranium. The report
shall include an assessment of the feasibility and cost of adding predeployment
training concerning potential exposure to depleted uranium and other toxic chemical
substances and the precautions recommended under combat and noncombat conditions
while in a combat zone.
D. The expenditure or appropriation of state funds for the purposes of providing
testing pursuant to this Section is prohibited.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
