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A DILL FOR AN ACT io prwldc for certain care ond bcncfXto to the pmplc of Ronzclcp and VMC for care and bcncfitc to ccrtofnothcr people froa Ron@ap ond Scction 1. Short title. Thin act io known ~d my bc cited no . SCitiOZ 2. Statement of intcata Aa a result of the Kstch 1, 19S4 “Bravo” shot of the Castle Test Series conduccedby Joint Tosk Force Seven at Bikini Atoll, 82 Rongelapcse,157 Utirikese, 23 Japanese fishermen, and 28 Ancrican scrvicwcnwere exposed to radioactive falloutwhich contaminatedtheir places of habitation. It is thus the s.smseof the Congress of Micronesia that the exposed Rongclapese and Utirikeserepresent unique groups of people in the ‘Must Territory - because of thetr experi~ce. It is the further sense of the,Congress that because of the”6pecialand unique effects of radiiitionwhich, in the case of the Rongelapese,have been manifcsced iticases-of thyroid nodules, thyroid cancer, one possible case of leukemia, and other cffects— that these people should be accorded special care and trcnzmentby the Trust TerritoryGovernment in order to prescrvQ ond protect their health. Finally,it is also the sense of the Cos~rcso, that examinationof these exposcdpcople rcquLrcc the cxmimtion of noncxpoacdpcmons; that the health of these noncxposcd persons munt bc maintained at the oomc lCVC1 Scctlon3. Definitions. In thio act, unlcco the coatcxt othcrd=c rcwircn, the folbwinc dcfinitionochall apply: ‘
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who wan born within tcn months aftcr that date. mother or fathck wan an exposed pcraon. (3) “Coatrol’’mnno thoacpcruons now living In thcllar~hall IslandsDiGtrictwhowcrc noc exposed to fallout from thcliarch 1, 1954 tent, but who atycc ao hereinafterprovided in this act, to bc cwmincd and tcatcd in ~iko manner aa exposed persons. SCCCiOn 4. )3cncffts.Tho care and bcncfitc providedby the Trust Territory for the exposed, chi.ldrcnof exposed, and control paraonG (1) Transportationfrom the place of residence to the hospital on tijuros or =CYC, when that facility is completed,and return to . place of residence. Transportationfor one immediatemember of the family of the peruon will also be provided at no expenee. } (2), Per diem at.stendardTr.st Territory rates will be is less then 18 years of age, he 6hall receive no more than five dollars posed,or control pcraon Is hospitalized,he iB to reccivc no mere than Elve dollars ($5) pcr diem for the perio&of his hospitaliz~tioa. The ~fflce.q,fthe District Director of Health Services shall bc responsible fEor ass sting such pezaons in securing their proper pcr dicm. . (3) Rousing at no cost to thcrequcctor shall be providcdby
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I Section ahnll not bc cormtrued to require ouch pcroono to live in b ., (4) Frca medical cartiincludingncdication, treatment,’nnd i 3 of this act. ...-. %ction 5. , Record Of cwcmco. The Dintrict Director of Health ., maintainingrecords of hll cxpcnscs incurred undzr the provisionsof thin act and the District Director of Health Scrviccs ohall provide a quarterly report to the Office of the High Commimi.oncr,the.Office of the LeZisZativc Counsel of the Cengress of Micronesia,and CO the Director of the Department of Health Scnices of the Trust Territory. The annual cxpen~cs as incurred by provisionsof this act shall be defrayed aa pro- ., tided for In Section 10 of this act. Section 6. Procedures. The persons mentioacd in Secti~n 3 of this act shall initiate their request for transportationto a hospital facility with the health aide or other representativeof theTt~t Territory Departmentof Health Seanriccs.If a field trip vessclis a~ the islend, “~’ the doctor aboard or the mstcr of the chip in lieu of a doctor. health aide is not on the island, the person should ask the magistrate, . council rmbcr, school tcachcr or .othcrrecognized comunity leader to in his behalf. This Section ohall not be conctrucd to allow persons aforcoaidboncfitn if tha ailment or complaint could have been treated
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available. It should furthernot bo conctrucd to require the fi~rout$n~of ships or plnncfifor minor.ailmcnta or complaint which can be treated on the island; PROVIDZD, 1:0’JSVER,that an exposed, descendantof an exposed,or a control pcraon who has a “ aerioue and acute coaplatnt,illness, or accident shall be transportedin a I.ikamanner as any other emergency patient. Section 7. Hazdbook. The Dcpaxtmentof llealthServices,the District Office of Health Sexviccsand the SpcCiol Joint Conznittcc ConcerningRongclap ond Utirik Atollc. in conjunctionwith the Brookhaven NntionalLaboratory, shall cause to be creaccd and reproduced a handbook CO be given to exposed,descendantsof exposed, and ., control persons. Sa~d”handbook shall contain, but not be limited CO, tha following information: Exposed or noncxposed status, number of the person.,.Space shall alsobe provided for a record of medical exaq%nationsand findings in the Marahallcsc language. persona de~cribcd in Section 3 of eligible for the beneftts provided this act arc automatically under this act. Persons’in the “control” class shall beco=a eligtble only upon sLgning a wittcn t agreementin both Ifarshallescwd English which protidcs that said pcrbon will become elig%ble for the aforementionedbenefits only if hc or she agrees to act no a control. k%. District Dis:ctor of.
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1 in conjunctionwith the Director of the Dcpartncntof Health 3: Section 9. Enforccmcnt. Tho Director of the Marshall Xoland.e District llcalthSorviccs shall be nominally rczponsiblcfor carrying out and caforcing the provisionsof this act, but may, it his of Ucalth SarvicoB and tha SpcCial Joint Conmittcc or the prcoiding officcro of tha Congress of }ficron~ia. The District Dircccor shall insure that those eligible receive the full benefits available, and that those persona visiting the district center hospital, or other medical facility,shall be returned to their island as Goon as is appropriateto their conditionmd,,yithinthe constraintsof normal shfp schedules. The District Dtrector shall also include in his quarterlyreport any and all flagrant or continuousabuses or violation of the intent OS this act. Continued abuse of the privileges end bencfita of this temporary or permanent act will result in suspension ,,of the offender from eligibility. Suspensionof eligibility.willbe District Director to the Marshall Islands delegationof the Congress of 14icronesia.Appealby any decision thus reached can only be obtained through petition to the Director of the Dcpartnent of Hcalt~ Services and the Special Joint ComnittccConcerningRongclnp and Utirik Atollo, or by dcsignccsappointed by the presiding officers. dirccccd to ocak an axucuciva ngrccumnt with tho Atomic Eneruy
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,1 &xnaioEionwhereby the cxpcnncoincurred under the provisionsof thio act will ba defrayed either directly or on a rcix.buroablcbaciisby the Atomic Energy Commission and report hia findingsno later than “ upon the approval of the High bnmiscioncr, or upon its becoming ,