Sec. 27-140ii. Assistance to members of the Connecticut National Guard and veterans to obtain federal treatment services for depleted uranium exposure. Report re adequacy of training and feasibility o - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 27-140ii. Assistance to members of the Connecticut National Guard and veterans to obtain federal treatment services for depleted uranium exposure. Report re adequacy of training and feasibility of predeployment training. (a) As used in this section:

      (1) "Eligible member" means a member of the Connecticut National Guard 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;

      (2) "Veteran" means a veteran, as defined in subsection (a) of section 27-103, who served as an eligible member;

      (3) "Military physician" includes a physician who is under contract with the United States Department of Defense to provide physician services to members of the armed forces; and

      (4) "Depleted uranium" means uranium containing less uranium-235 than the naturally occurring distribution of uranium isotopes.

      (b) On and after October 1, 2005, the Adjutant General and the Commissioner of Veterans' Affairs shall assist any eligible member or veteran who (1) has been assigned a risk level I, II or III for depleted uranium exposure by his or her branch of service, (2) is referred by a military physician, or (3) has reason to believe that he or she was exposed to depleted uranium during such service, in obtaining federal treatment services, including 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. No state funds shall be used to pay for such tests or such other federal treatment services.

      (c) On or before October 1, 2005, the Adjutant General shall submit a report to the select committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to military and veterans' affairs, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, on the scope and adequacy of training received by members of the Connecticut National Guard 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.

      (June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-3, S. 33.)

      History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-3 effective June 30, 2005.