1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to veterans affairs; providing a health screening benefit for eligible 
1.3 	members of the armed forces; requiring notification; appropriating money; 
1.4 	proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 197.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [197.08] HEALTH SCREENING FOR EXPOSURE TO DEPLETED 
1.7 	URANIUM.
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Definitions. (a) The definitions in this subdivision apply to this 
1.9 	section.
1.10 	(b) "Depleted uranium" means uranium containing less uranium 235 than the 
1.11 	naturally occurring distribution of uranium isotopes.
1.12 	(c) "Eligible member" means a member who served in the Persian Gulf War, as 
1.13 	defined in United States Code, title 38, section 101, or in an area designated as a combat 
1.14 	zone by the president of the United States during Operation Enduring Freedom or 
1.15 	Operation Iraqi Freedom.
1.16 	(d) "Member of the armed forces" or "member" means a member of the armed forces 
1.17 	of the United States, including the National Guard, who is a resident of this state.
1.18 	(e) "Veteran" means a person who served as an eligible member.
1.19 		Subd. 2.Health screening test. An eligible member or veteran who returns or 
1.20 	has returned to this state after service in an area designated as a combat zone by the 
1.21 	president of the United States and who has been assigned a risk level I or II for depleted 
1.22 	uranium exposure by the member's or veteran's branch of service, or any other member or 
1.23 	veteran who has reason to believe that the member or veteran was exposed to depleted 
1.24 	uranium during service, has the right to a best-practice health screening test for exposure 
2.1 	to depleted uranium using a bioassay procedure involving sensitive methods capable of 
2.2 	detecting depleted uranium at low levels and the use of equipment with the capacity to 
2.3 	discriminate between different radioisotopes in naturally occurring levels of uranium and 
2.4 	the characteristic ratio and marker for depleted uranium.
2.5 		Subd. 3.Notification of availability to those eligible. All Minnesota veterans must 
2.6 	be informed of their right to a best-practice health screening test for exposure to depleted 
2.7 	uranium using a bioassay procedure involving sensitive methods capable of detecting 
2.8 	depleted uranium at low levels, and of the availability of free testing for depleted uranium 
2.9 	exposure by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

2.10 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 2.11 	$3,000,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2007 from the general fund to the 
2.12 	commissioner of veterans affairs for purposes of providing health screening for exposure 
2.13 	to depleted uranium to eligible members and veterans of the armed services pursuant to 
2.14 	section 1.