ACR211

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman AURA K. DUNN

District 25 (Morris and Somerset)

Assemblywoman GABRIELA M. MOSQUERA

District 4 (Camden and Gloucester)

Assemblywoman CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

SYNOPSIS

Memorializes the President and Congress to expand certain benefits to the grandchildren of veterans impacted by Agent Orange.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

As introduced.

A Concurrent Resolution memorializing the President and Congress of the United States to expand certain benefits to the grandchildren of veterans impacted by Agent Orange.

Whereas, Spina Bifida is a spinal cord defect often requiring extensive life-long medical care and may cause health issues leading to disability such as paralysis, walking and mobility problems, nerve damage, bowel and bladder issues, and hydrocephalus, among others; and

Whereas, Evidence indicates that exposure to “Agent Orange”, a herbicide extensively used during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, may lead to Spina Bifida in the children of veterans who were exposed to the toxin and the United States Congress has acknowledged the connection through the enactment of the “Agent Orange Benefits Act of 1996”; and

Whereas, Benefits provided by the “Agent Orange Benefits Act of 1996” include a monthly monetary allowance, a vocational program, counseling and rehabilitative services, employment services, and health care benefits which have improved the lives of the children of veterans who were born with Spina Bifida; and

Whereas, Recent evidence indicates that the grandchildren of veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange also suffer from elevated incidences of Spina Bifida, but these children are not eligible for the benefits provided in the “Agent Orange Benefits Act of 1996”; and

Whereas, Expanding benefits to the grandchildren of eligible veterans who suffer from Spina Bifida would greatly alleviate the financial burden caused by medical costs associated with treatment of the condition and enable them to further their careers through the additional educational and employment services afforded to them; and

Whereas, Spina Bifida is a life-long debilitating disease affecting both the children and grandchildren of Korean and Vietnam War veterans exposed to Agent Orange and the benefits provided to veterans’ children by the “Agent Orange Benefits Act of 1996” should be expanded to include the grandchildren of these veterans; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey (the Senate concurring):

1. The President and Congress of the United States are respectfully memorialized to expand the scope of the “Agent Orange Benefits Act of 1996” to include individuals diagnosed with Spina Bifida who are grandchildren of certain veterans of the United States Armed Forces.

2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate to the President and Vice President of the United States; the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate; the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives; and every member of the New Jersey Congressional delegation.

STATEMENT

This concurrent resolution memorializes the President and Congress to provide the grandchildren with Spina Bifida of veterans exposed to Agent Orange the same benefits as the children with Spina Bifida of veterans exposed to Agent Orange as provided by the “Agent Orange Benefits Act of 1996”.

Grandchildren of Vietnam and Korean War veterans who are negatively affected by their grandparent’s service through the acquiring of diseases caused by Agent Orange such as Spinia Bifida will have limited support in managing the consequences of their illness unless provided the same benefits as the children of veterans with the same affliction. Spina Bifida is a life-long debilitating disease that can cause numerous serious health issues. The expansion of benefits to include grandchildren of these veterans will alleviate the financial burden of the disease and provide valuable services such as counseling, education, and employment services. The United States of America has greatly benefitted from the service of all veterans and owes its support to the grandchildren of veterans afflicted by diseases linked to military service.