Bill Text: IL HR0414 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges the United States Congress to take prompt action to reauthorize the James Zadroga 9/11 family of programs and to fully fund these programs.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 30-4)
Status: (Passed) 2015-05-18 - Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Patrick J. Verschoore [HR0414 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2015-HR0414-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, On September 11, 2001, enemy terrorist action | ||||||
3 | destroyed the World Trade Center in
New York City; and
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4 | WHEREAS, Over 63,000 first responders assembled at the site | ||||||
5 | of the World Trade Center to provide
emergency assistance under | ||||||
6 | unimaginable conditions; the wreckage of the building | ||||||
7 | contained large
quantities of toxic substances which have had, | ||||||
8 | and will continue to have, significant effects upon the
health | ||||||
9 | status and quality of life of many of these first responders; | ||||||
10 | and
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11 | WHEREAS, Approximately 170 of these 9/11 first responders | ||||||
12 | currently reside in Illinois; and
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13 | WHEREAS, A federal law, the James Zadroga Act, oversees | ||||||
14 | health care and compensation to all on
this list of 63,000 and | ||||||
15 | their survivors; this Act authorizes operation of the World | ||||||
16 | Trade Center
Health Program for medical monitoring and | ||||||
17 | treatment and the September 11th Victim Compensation
Fund | ||||||
18 | provides compensation for economic damages and loss to | ||||||
19 | responders and survivors; and
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20 | WHEREAS, Under the James Zadroga Act, 33,000 first | ||||||
21 | responders have been diagnosed with 9/11-related medical |
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1 | conditions, 10,549 claimants have been determined to be | ||||||
2 | eligible for compensation,
7,800 persons have been classified | ||||||
3 | as having been injured at the 9/11 site, compensation decisions
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4 | have been made for 4,415 persons, and well more than $1 billion | ||||||
5 | has been paid out; and
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6 | WHEREAS, These figures are expected to increase in future | ||||||
7 | years due to health diagnoses arising
from exposure to 9/11 | ||||||
8 | conditions; and
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9 | WHEREAS, Despite these needs, the World Trade Center Health | ||||||
10 | Program will sunset in October
of 2015 and the September 11th | ||||||
11 | Victim Compensation Fund will sunset in October of 2016; and
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12 | WHEREAS, United States Senators Mark Kirk of Illinois, | ||||||
13 | Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Chuck Schumer of New York, and | ||||||
14 | Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, have joined as bipartisan lead | ||||||
15 | co-sponsors of the James
Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation | ||||||
16 | Reauthorization Act; this reauthorization act will extend the
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17 | lifespan of these vital programs and will add additional | ||||||
18 | research into the diagnosis and treatment of
9/11-related | ||||||
19 | health conditions; therefore, be it
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20 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
21 | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
22 | call upon the United States Congress to take prompt action to |
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1 | reauthorize the
James Zadroga 9/11 family of programs and to | ||||||
2 | fully fund these programs; and be it further
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3 | RESOLVED, That we commend Senators Mark Kirk, Kirsten | ||||||
4 | Gillibrand, Chuck Schumer, and Lisa
Murkowski for their | ||||||
5 | bipartisan sponsorship of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and | ||||||
6 | Compensation
Reauthorization Act; and be it further
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7 | RESOLVED, That we recognize other federal Senators and | ||||||
8 | members of the United States House of
Representatives, who are | ||||||
9 | also showing their support for these 63,000 first responders; | ||||||
10 | and be it further
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11 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
12 | presented to the President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, the | ||||||
13 | Speaker of the House of the U.S. House of Representatives, and | ||||||
14 | each member of the Illinois Congressional Delegation.
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