§ 29:304 — Powers and duties of the department

For the purposes of informing veterans and family members of persons who were exposed to Agent Orange and other chemical herbicides, defoliants, and other causative agents used in the Vietnam conflict, and compiling data on the health effects of this exposure, the department shall:
(1) Establish, promote, and maintain a public information program on chemical herbicides, defoliants, and other causative agents used in the Vietnam conflict in cooperation with the Veterans' Affairs Commission, and the state military department and in conjunction with the efforts through public media of those entities to contact family members of veterans who were exposed to herbicides containing dioxin. In implementing this public information component, the department shall utilize existing departmental staff and resources, including but not limited to the informational films prepared by the Veterans' Administration, whenever possible.
(2) Maintain a central repository containing information on the health effects of exposure to chemical herbicides, defoliants, and other causative agents, including Agent Orange used in the Vietnam conflict, and a catalog of existing scientific and medical literature on the health effects of such exposure.

Legislative History

Acts 1985, No. 878, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986; Acts 1995, No. 746, §1.