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HJM002.....................................................by STATE AFFAIRS NUCLEAR WEAPON TESTS - Stating findings of the Legislature and asking that, upon verification of the effects of nuclear weapons testing on Idaho residents, "downwinders" be compensated in the same manner and to the same extent as those individuals previously compensated for similar exposures. 02/01 House intro - 1st rdg - to printing 02/02 Rpt prt - to St Aff 02/10 Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg 02/11 2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg 02/16 3rd rdg - ADOPTED - voice vote Floor Sponsor - Skippen Title apvd - to Senate 02/17 Senate intro - 1st rdg - to St Aff 02/21 Rpt out - rec d/p - to 10th Ord 02/22 10th Ord - ADOPTED - voice vote Floor Sponsor - Little Title apvd - to House 02/23 To enrol 02/24 Rpt enrol - Sp signed 02/25 Pres signed 02/28 To Secretary of State
]]]] LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO ]]]] Fifty-eighth Legislature First Regular Session - 2005IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 2 BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE 1 A JOINT MEMORIAL 2 TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES IN CONGRESS 3 ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION REPRESENTING THE STATE OF 4 IDAHO IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES. 5 We, your Memorialists, the House of Representatives and the Senate of the 6 State of Idaho assembled in the First Regular Session of the Fifty-eighth 7 Idaho Legislature, do hereby respectfully represent that: 8 WHEREAS, on October 15, 1990, Congress passed the Radiation Exposure Com- 9 pensation Act (RECA), which provides for compassionate payments to persons or 10 to their beneficiaries who developed diseases as a result of exposure to radi- 11 ation from U.S. atmospheric nuclear weapons testing; and 12 WHEREAS, currently, a study is underway by the National Academy of Sci- 13 ences and a report will be filed with Congress to address the adequacy of the 14 initial geographic coverage provided in RECA; and 15 WHEREAS, compelling anecdotal evidence has been accumulated at public 16 meetings and in written reports, to indicate the impact of atmospheric testing 17 on the downwinder populations in Idaho; and 18 WHEREAS, preliminary evidence suggests that scientific documentation being 19 gathered and assessed for inclusion in the report will find that risk factors 20 present in Idaho equal or exceed the factors present in areas previously 21 included in RECA coverage; and 22 WHEREAS, members of Idaho's congressional delegation have worked and will 23 continue to press for responsible legislative action to address the claims of 24 Idahoans based upon radiation exposure; and 25 WHEREAS, it is appropriate that members of the Idaho Legislature, speaking 26 on behalf of the citizens of the state, express support for the efforts of 27 Idaho's congressional delegation in their representation of downwinders in 28 Idaho. 29 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the First Regular Session 30 of the Fifty-eighth Idaho Legislature, the House of Representatives and the 31 Senate concurring therein, that we anticipate the findings of the National 32 Academy of Sciences will verify the impact of testing on residents of Idaho, 33 and we conclude that it is appropriate to compensate these downwinders in the 34 same manner and to the same extent as those individuals previously compensated 35 for similar exposures. We urge the members of Idaho's congressional delegation 36 to continue in their endeavors on behalf of Idaho's citizens. 37 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Clerk of the House of Representa- 38 tives be, and she is hereby authorized and directed to forward a copy of this 39 Memorial to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Repre- 40 sentatives of Congress, and the congressional delegation representing the 41 State of Idaho in the Congress of the United States.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE RS 14602C1 From 1950 to 1962 residents of the United States who were downwind from U.S. atmospheric nuclear weapons testing in Nevada were subjected to radiation fallout. The United States government has chosen to provide compassionate payments to some who have suffered from identified illnesses through the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA). The twenty-one counties currently covered were exposed to a lesser extent than most Idahoans. Four of the five highest exposure counties in the United States are in Idaho. We seek equitable coverage through RECA for Idahoans. FISCAL IMPACT There is no general fund impact from this effort. Contact Names: Rep. Kathy Skippen Rep. JoAn Wood Rep. Lenore Hardy Barrett Rep. Wendy Jaquet Rep. Donna Pence Rep. Carlos Bilbao Phone: 208-332-1000 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE HJM 2