H-4110              _______________________________________________

                                           HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 4035

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Representatives Unsoeld, Sayan, Anderson, Nelson, Patrick, Jacobsen, Rust, Todd, Ferguson, Meyers, Sutherland, Holm, Holland, D. Sommers, Sanders, Heavey, Rasmussen, Grant, Appelwick, Basich, Pruitt, Dellwo, Peery, Fisher, H. Sommers, Wang, Jones, Nutley, Jesernig, Belcher, R. King, O'Brien, Sprenkle, Leonard, Cooper, Walk, Dorn, Lewis, P. King, Brough, Winsley, Miller, Brekke and Spanel

Read first time 1/22/88 and referred to Committee on State Government. Referred to Committee on Human Services 1/25/88.

TO THE HONORABLE RONALD REAGAN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

          We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

          WHEREAS, The Senate and House of Representatives are concerned with the health and well-being of veterans in Washington State; and

          WHEREAS, Nineteen million gallons of herbicide, such as Agent Orange, was sprayed over Vietnamese land and American soldiers during an eight-year period beginning in 1962; and

          WHEREAS, Many veterans who served in Vietnam have been exposed to a variety of toxic chemicals during their tour of duty including Agent Orange, arsenic, and DDT; and

          WHEREAS, Adequate steps have not been taken to research the health effects on humans of Agent Orange and other pesticides used during the Vietnam War; and

          WHEREAS, Current studies have not determined the role of Agent Orange and other pesticides in the post-war ailments of veterans and the birth defects in their children and grandchildren; and

          WHEREAS, A recent study looking into the effects of Agent Orange on veterans by the Federal Center for Disease Control has been canceled with no conclusive results; and

          WHEREAS, The Veterans Administration has released a report stating that Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange have a fifty-eight percent higher death rate from lung cancer and a one hundred ten percent higher death rate from non-Hodgkin's lymphomas; and

          WHEREAS, The Independent Agent Orange Network is working towards treatment and compensation for veterans with chemical-related diseases; and

          WHEREAS, The Independent Agent Orange Network is calling for further in-depth studies on the effects of herbicides on veterans and a greater national understanding of the effects of Agent Orange on veterans; and

          WHEREAS, There has been no federal compensation and scant private compensation to veterans with post-war ailments associated with exposure to Agent Orange; and

          WHEREAS, More in-depth study is needed to understand the overall results of exposure to Agent Orange; and

          WHEREAS, Additional scientific research is required before more than five thousand lawsuits concerning Agent Orange can be settled;

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that Congress look into the claims of veterans exposed to Agent Orange, provide compensation based on available data, initiate hearings regarding the cancellation of Agent Orange studies, and provide funding for the continuation of those studies.  In addition, Congress is urged to quickly initiate studies that will answer the deadly questions about Agent Orange and work to resolve this problem for thousands of Vietnam Veterans.           BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.