Committee approves free screening for exposure to uranium by members ..

[struggle4progress]

.. of the military

BATON ROUGE, La. A House committee decided today that members of the military or veterans who believe they were at risk for exposure to depleted uranium, a radioactive material that is used in nuclear weapons, should be able to get a free health screening test.

A bill by Representative Juan LaFonta of New Orleans would establish the right to the screening test. The House Judiciary Committee unanimously sent the measure to the full House for debate. LaFonta was accompanied by two veterans for the committee hearing.

The U-S Department of Veterans Affairs would cover the 170 dollar cost per test.

http://www.katc.com/Global/story.asp?S=3274668

[Dylan Garcia]

1. More...

http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/042905...esting001.shtml



Panel supports testing veterans

Depleted-uranium test proposed


By MARK BALLARD
[e-mail]
Capitol news bureau

A House panel endorsed legislation Thursday that would require Louisiana veterans returning from Iraq to be tested for depleted uranium exposure, which some experts say they think is a primary cause of Gulf War syndrome.
House Bill 570 would allow any Louisiana soldier who believes he or she was exposed to depleted uranium in a combat zone to get a more aggressive test than is offered by the military, said Rep. Juan LaFonta, D-New Orleans, the measure's sponsor.

The wording of the proposed law does not specifically spell out who would give or pay for the test.

But LaFonta said the measure would give Louisiana soldiers more leverage to demand the tests from the federal Veterans Administration.

After the hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, LaFonta acknowledged that a state law would have little effect on the federal agency.

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[LSU_Subversive]

2. kudos to the house panel

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3. DylanGarcia

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