[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 41 (Tuesday, April 4, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2801-S2805]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. THOMAS (for himself, Mr Schumer, and Mr. Enzi):
  S. 2498. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to 
prohibit the disclosure of tax return information by tax return 
preparers to third parties; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce a taxpayer 
privacy bill.
  Much attention has been focused recently on IRS-proposed changes to 
regulations regarding taxpayer privacy. Interestingly, these proposed 
changes have been widely--and incorrectly--reported as changing the law 
to allow tax preparers to sell taxpayer information to third parties 
for marketing purposes. In fact, an IRS regulation put into place more 
than 30 years ago already allows confidential taxpayer information to 
be shared in this manner, as long as the taxpayer consents.
  The public uproar that has surrounded the proposed changes to this 
regulation makes it clear that taxpayers are not aware of this fact and 
expect that their return information will be kept confidential. 
Confidentiality of taxpayer information is a key underpinning of our 
voluntary tax system, encouraging taxpayers to provide complete and 
honest returns.
  The complexity of the tax code has resulted in 60 percent of all 
returns being completed by paid preparers. The process is a very 
intimidating one for most. Given the stress and vulnerability of 
taxpayers during the process, and the high dollar value of confidential 
taxpayer information, I am concerned that financially-motivated tax 
preparers may present the taxpayer with a stack of papers for the 
taxpayer to sign, including, unbeknownst to the taxpayer, a consent 
form to share the information with third parties. The taxpayer could 
easily be under the impression that all of the papers are required to 
be signed in order to have the return prepared, completely undermining 
the requirement of signed, informed consent.
  In an era of lightning-fast electronic communication--in which 
information can travel around the world and back in a matter of 
seconds--and the proliferation of identity theft, it seems to me that 
we ought to bring the law in line with taxpayer expectations. When this 
regulation was promulgated back in 1974, our citizens weren't anywhere 
nearly as vulnerable to this crime as they are today. We have made 
changes with regard to credit reports and individuals' access to them, 
we have removed Social Security numbers from drivers' licenses and 
medical ID cards, and we need to similarly remove the threat of 
taxpayer information being shared in ways that are not condoned by the 
individual taxpayer. This bill would do just that by prohibiting tax 
preparers from both soliciting consent and sharing tax return 
information with third parties.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2498

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. PROHIBITION OF TAX PREPARERS DISCLOSING TAX RETURN 
                   INFORMATION.

       (a) In General.--Paragraph (3) of section 7216(b) of the 
     Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to regulations) is 
     amended to read as follows:
       ``(3) Regulations.--
       ``(A) In general.--Subsection (a) shall not apply to a 
     disclosure or use of information which is permitted by 
     regulations prescribed by the Secretary under this section.

[[Page S2802]]

       ``(B) Peer reviews.--The regulations under this section 
     shall permit (subject to such conditions as such regulations 
     shall provide) the disclosure or use of information for 
     quality or peer reviews.
       ``(C) Disclosure to third parties.--
       ``(i) In general.--The regulations under this section shall 
     not permit the disclosure or use of information for purposes 
     of facilitating the solicitation of the taxpayer's use of any 
     services provided or facilities furnished by a person 
     unless--

       ``(I) such person is a person described in subsection (a) 
     or a person who is a member of the same affiliated group 
     (within the meaning of section 1504) as such person, and
       ``(II) the taxpayer has granted consent to such disclosure 
     or use.

       ``(ii) Solicitation of consent.--The regulations under this 
     section shall not permit any person described in clause 
     (i)(I) to request the consent of a taxpayer to disclose or 
     use information for any purpose other than a purpose 
     described in clause (i).''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section 
     shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. KERRY:
  S. 2499. A bill to provide for the expeditious disclosure of records 
relevant to the life and assassination of Reverend Doctor Martin Luther 
King, Jr.; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs.

  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, today, on the anniversary of Dr. Martin 
Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, I am pleased to join with my 
colleague in the House, Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney to introduce the 
Martin Luther King, Jr., Record Collections Act. This act will ensure 
the expeditious disclosure and preservation of records relevant to Dr. 
King's life and death. Fully releasing these records--many of which are 
not subject to disclosure until 2038--will shed significant light on a 
turning point in American history. My friend, Representative John 
Lewis, explained its necessity quite eloquently:

       I, too, was the subject of unwarranted FBI surveillance 
     during the Civil Rights Movement. Because we do not know this 
     part of our history, it is clear that we are beginning to 
     repeat it. Recently, we became aware of the administration's 
     domestic spying program that has targeted peace groups that 
     are carrying on the nonviolent action of Dr. King. It is time 
     that we know our history, and passage of the Rev. Martin 
     Luther King, Jr. Records Act will take us one step closer to 
     uncovering that history.

  Judge Joseph Brown, the last presiding judge in James Earl Ray's 
post-conviction relief proceedings, also supports this legislation. He 
believes that it is important to:

       . . . fully release the still classified historical record 
     surrounding the life and death of the late Dr. King. In light 
     of the disturbing records and documents that came to light in 
     James Earl Ray's petition before me and in consideration of 
     the recent furor over the power and authority granted to 
     certain officials under the guise of the Homeland Security 
     Act, it might prove most illuminating to review the 
     historical record relative to the exercise of purportedly 
     similar power and authority by the U.S. officials 40 years 
     ago. The American public, the citizens of the Land of the 
     Free and Home of the Brave deserve this access to the 
     historic record surrounding the life and death of Dr. King.

  Our legislation will create a Martin Luther King Records Collection 
at the National Archives. This will include all records--public and 
private--related to the life and death of Dr. King, including any 
investigations or inquiries by Federal, State, or local agencies. The 
records will be organized in a central directory to allow the public to 
access them online from anywhere in the world. The documents will be 
overseen by a review board consisting of at least one professional 
historian, one attorney, one researcher, and one representative of the 
civil rights community.
  The MLK Records Review Board, a five-member independent agency, will 
be responsible for facilitating the review and transmission of all 
related records to the Archivist for public disclosure. Members will be 
nominated by the President and approved with the advice and consent of 
the Senate. It will have the power to direct government offices to 
locate and organize related records and transmit them for review or 
release. It will also have the power to investigate the facts 
surrounding the transmission or possession of records, take testimony 
of individuals in order to fulfill their responsibilities, request the 
Attorney General to subpoena private persons or government employees to 
compel testimony or records and require agencies to account in writing 
for any previous or current destruction of related records. In 
addition, the Board can request that the Attorney General petition any 
court in the U.S. or abroad to release any sealed information or 
physical evidence relevant to the life or death of Dr. King, and to 
subpoena such evidence if it is no longer in the possession of the 
government. The MLK Records Review Board will also be required to 
provide annual reports to Congress, the President, the Archivist, and 
all government agencies whose records have been reviewed, and to the 
public. The Board must terminate its work no later than 5 years from 
the passage of the Act unless it votes to extend for an additional 2-
year term.

  The reason for having such a Board is to ensure that someone is 
responsible for finding all relevant records and that the records do 
not disclose any sensitive information. It is particularly important to 
have a Board like this given recent revelations by the New York Times 
that the government has begun removing thousands of declassified 
documents on a wide range of historical subjects from public access at 
the National Archives. There has perhaps never been a more urgent time 
to bring the records on Dr. King into the light of day. According to 
the National Archives, about 9,500 records totaling more than 55,000 
pages have been withdrawn from the public shelves and reclassified 
since 1999. We need to ensure that the records relating to the life and 
death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., do not suffer the same fate. They 
are too important to us at this point in American history.
  Dr. King challenged the conscience of my generation, and his words 
and his legacy continue to move generations to action today. His love 
and faith is alive in the millions of Americans who volunteer each day 
in soup kitchens or in schools, and those who refused to ignore the 
suffering of thousands they'd never met when Hurricane Katrina 
destroyed lives and communities. His vision and his passion are alive 
in churches and on campuses when millions stand up against the 
injustice of discrimination or the indifference that leaves too many 
behind.
  The best way to honor the memory of Dr. King is to finish his work at 
home and around the world. And the first step to furthering his legacy 
is to know the full body of it. I hope that my colleagues will join me 
in this very important effort: to preserve and learn from records 
relating to the life and death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. AKAKA (for himself, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Lautenberg, and Mr. 
        Kerry):
  S. 2500. A bill to enhance the counseling and readjustment services 
provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; 
to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise proudly today on behalf of our 
Nation's veterans and returning servicemembers to introduce the Healing 
the Invisible Wounds Act of 2006. This legislation will enhance the 
counseling and readjustment services provided by the Department of 
Veterans' Affairs (VA). And it will protect the rights of veterans to 
receive PTSD compensation--now or in the future.
  Many of the men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are 
suffering from some of the most severe physical injuries. However, even 
more of these brave servicemembers have invisible wounds--difficulties 
with adjusting to not being on the battlefield or dealing with long-
lasting visions and experiences that they encountered. My bill is 
intended to ensure that these men and women receive the readjustment 
counseling and mental health services necessary to transition into what 
we hope to be a full and productive life after combat.
  This issue is especially relevant following the release of a mental 
health care study conducted by the Army Institute of Research which 
revealed that as many as 35 percent of Iraq war veterans received 
mental health care services in the year after their return home. The 
study concluded that the high rate of using of mental health care 
services among Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans after deployment 
highlights challenges in ensuring that there be adequate resources to 
meet the mental health needs of returning veterans.
  As we all know, the transition period for these soldiers is extremely 
critical. So critical that it can, in some cases, mean the difference 
between short-

[[Page S2803]]

term readjustment issues and severely chronic psychological conditions. 
This bill supports and encourages greater cooperation between VA and 
the Department of Defense, DoD, through the expansion of innovative 
Reunion and Re-entry activities carried out by Vet Center staff. These 
activities provide members of the National Guard and Reserves with 
counseling services during the transition from their deployment 
overseas to civilian life.
  Demobilization often occurs so rapidly for these returning 
servicemembers that they sometimes do not receive or are overwhelmed by 
the benefits information they need. It is understandable that our 
servicemembers are much more focused on being reunited with their loved 
ones than caring about what benefits they are eligible to receive. My 
bill provides a comprehensive approach by providing group session 
counseling, a one-hour private counseling session, a presentation to 
family members about counseling-related matters, and other services 
that are deemed appropriate by the Secretaries of Veterans Affairs and 
Defense. My bill ensures that these services are provided no later than 
14 days upon return and that servicemembers be retained on active duty 
until they receive these crucial counseling services.

  In order to provide feedback and reflection about how to better serve 
veterans in this capacity, my bill requires a report from VA. The 
report would detail the costs associated with the provision of 
counseling services, an assessment of the efficacy of the services 
provided to meet the readjustment needs of veterans, and a survey-based 
assessment regarding the satisfaction of veterans receiving these 
services, that would include the manner in which these services are 
provided.
  Servicemembers have paid a great price in defending freedom. Access 
to treatment and counseling to heal invisible wounds must be considered 
a continuing cost of war. In that spirit, this legislation would 
authorize $180 million for the provision of readjustment counseling 
services. Colleagues, if there's one lesson we've learned thus far, it 
is that the earlier we provide these services, the better chance we 
have of preventing more serious mental health conditions. We need to 
invest in our future now. If we don't provide these services, we will 
be paying a much, much higher price in the future.
  The safe counseling havens of VA include Vet Centers, which are great 
conduits for the delivery of these types of transition activities. All 
Vet Centers are staffed by veterans who can relate to the experiences 
that these OIF/OEF veterans commonly share.
  In 2005, Vet Centers cared for more than 44,900 veterans of the 
Global War on Terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq. In addition, Vet 
Centers provided bereavement counseling to more than 800 surviving 
family members of over 525 servicemembers who were killed while on 
active duty serving their country. Despite increases in the number of 
veterans coming to Vet Centers for care, the budget for the program has 
remained relatively stagnant.
  My bill would also address PTSD benefits for veterans. Instead of 
being proactive and allocating resources to address these challenges 
while at the same time caring for older veterans, a fear of rising 
costs prompted a reactionary response from many in Washington. Some 
policy makers believe that reducing veterans' compensation for PTSD by 
reexamining 72,000 previously awarded claims might be a good way to 
save money. This is a bad idea.
  Many times, VA compensation is the only source of income for severely 
disabled veterans and their families. I am thankful that VA set aside 
its plan to move forward with the PTSD Review late last year. However, 
there are ongoing efforts to re-evaluate how PTSD is compensated. The 
Institute of Medicine and Disability Benefits Commission are currently 
reviewing veterans' disability compensation. This bill requires the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit a report to Congress 6 months 
prior to modifying how PTSD is compensated under the disability 
compensation rating system. Veterans will no longer have to worry that 
the administration will cut disability compensation in order to save 
money.
  Through budget shortfalls and constraints, we must remain steadfast 
in ensuring that our servicemembers and their families do not suffer in 
silence from the invisible wounds that they receive in the name of 
freedom. Many of us fail to give invisible wounds the attention they 
require. I urge my colleagues to join me in taking another step towards 
healing our veterans by enacting this important measure.
  I ask unanimous consent that the full text of the bill be printed in 
the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2500

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Healing the Invisible Wounds 
     Act of 2006''.

     SEC. 2. NOTICE AND WAIT ON MODIFICATION OF HANDLING OF POST-
                   TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER UNDER DISABILITY 
                   COMPENSATION RATING SYSTEM.

       The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not implement any 
     modification in the manner in which Post-Traumatic Stress 
     Disorder (PTSD) is handled in the rating of service-connected 
     disabilities for purposes of the payment of compensation 
     under chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code, until the 
     date that is six months after the date on which the Secretary 
     submits to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate 
     and House of Representatives a report on such proposed 
     modification.

     SEC. 3. COUNSELING FOR MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD AND 
                   RESERVES RETURNING FROM DEPLOYMENT IN A COMBAT 
                   THEATER.

       (a) Expansion of Reunion and Re-Entry From Combat 
     Program.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in 
     consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall provide to 
     each member of the National Guard and Reserves described in 
     subsection (b) the counseling services described in 
     subsection (c) upon the return of such member from a 
     deployment in a combat theater.
       (2) Purpose of services.--The purpose of the counseling 
     services provided under this section is to assist members of 
     the National Guard and Reserves described in subsection (b) 
     in making the readjustment to civilian life in the United 
     States upon their return from a combat theater.
       (b) Covered Members of the National Guard and Reserves.--A 
     member of the National Guard and Reserves described in this 
     subsection is any member of the National Guard or the 
     Reserves who serves on active duty in a combat theater.
       (c) Counseling To Be Provided.--The counseling services to 
     be provided under this subsection shall include the 
     following:
       (1) A session of group counseling provided to such member 
     together with such other number of members as the Secretary 
     determines appropriate for the purpose of this section.
       (2) A session, of not less than one hour duration, of 
     private counseling provided to such member.
       (3) A presentation on counseling-related matters, including 
     on the readjustment counseling and related mental health 
     services available under section 1712A of title 38, United 
     States Code, provided to the family of such member.
       (4) Such other counseling services as the Secretary 
     determines appropriate for the purpose of this section.
       (d) Means of Providing Counseling.--Counseling services 
     shall be provided under this section through the personnel of 
     the centers (commonly referred to as ``vet centers'') 
     providing readjustment counseling and related mental health 
     services for veterans under section 1712A of title 38, United 
     States Code.
       (e) Timing of Counseling.--The counseling provided to a 
     member of the National Guard and Reserves under paragraphs 
     (1) and (2) of subsection (c) shall be provided not later 
     than 14 days after the date of the return of the member to 
     the member's home following a deployment to a combat theater.
       (f) Retention on Active Duty Pending Counseling.--A member 
     of the National Guard and Reserves described in subsection 
     (a) shall be retained on active duty in the Armed Forces 
     until the provision of the counseling required to be provided 
     under paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (c).
       (g) Additional Counseling.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
     the centers referred to in subsection (d), as part of the 
     discharge of their functions under section 1712A of title 38, 
     United States Code, provide, and have sufficient resources to 
     provide, such follow-up and additional counseling services to 
     veterans described in subsection (a) as such veterans shall 
     request from such centers, in accordance with applicable law.
       (h) Report.--
       (1) Report required.--Not later than one year after the 
     date of the commencement of the provision of counseling 
     services under this section, the Secretary shall submit to 
     the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the 
     provision of such services under this section.

[[Page S2804]]

       (2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
     include information as follows:
       (A) The cost of the provision of counseling services under 
     this section.
       (B) An assessment of the efficacy of such services in 
     meeting the readjustment needs of veterans described in 
     subsection (a).
       (C) An assessment (based on surveys or such information as 
     the Secretary considers appropriate) of the satisfaction of 
     veterans described in subsection (a) with the services 
     provided under this section, including the manner in which 
     such services are provided.
       (D) The number of followup visits for counseling and 
     services of veterans described in subsection (a) and the 
     number of visits of family members of such veterans for 
     counseling and services.
       (E) Such recommendations as the Secretary considers 
     appropriate in order to enhance the services provided under 
     this section, including the manner in which such services are 
     provided.
       (i) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this 
     section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' 
     means--
       (1) the Committees on Veterans' Affairs and Armed Services 
     of the Senate; and
       (2) the Committees on Veterans' Affairs and Armed Services 
     of the House of Representatives.
       (j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Department of Veterans Affairs for 
     fiscal year 2007, such sums as may be necessary for the 
     provision of counseling services under this section.

     SEC. 4. FUNDING FOR VET CENTERS.

       There is authorized to be appropriated to the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2007, $180,000,000 for the 
     provision of readjustment counseling and related mental 
     health services through centers (commonly referred to as 
     ``vet centers'') under section 1712A of title 38, United 
     States Code.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. SMITH (for himself and Mr. Wyden):
  S. 2502. A bill to provide for the modification of an amendatory 
repayment contract between the Secretary of the Interior and the North 
Unit Irrigation District, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation that 
will provide a win-win for the environment and for the farmers and 
ranchers who receive their irrigation water from the North Unit 
Irrigation District in central Oregon. My colleague, Senator Ron Wyden, 
joins me in cosponsoring this bill. Companion legislation is also being 
introduced today in the House of Representatives by Congressman Greg 
Walden.
  This legislation represents an opportunity to benefit nearly nine 
hundred farm and ranch families as well as the fish and wildlife 
resources of the Deschutes and Crooked Rivers. It will do so by 
removing a limitation in North Unit's Federal water contract with the 
Bureau of Reclamation. This limitation prevents the Distict and its 
patrons from participating in a conserved water project pursuant to the 
laws of the State of Oregon.
  Removing this contract restriction will enable North Unit to conserve 
its water supplies further through the implementation of conserved 
water projects. In order to comply with State law, the District would 
return a specific percentage of the ``conserved'' water back to the 
Deschutes River permanently as instream flows for fish, wildlife, or 
other purposes. A related change would enable the District to use 
Deschutes Project water on acreage in its service area that is 
currently irrigated with Crooked River water. The savings from these 
two changes could ultimately allow the District to reduce its reliance 
on its privately developed Crooked River supplies.
  Located in central Oregon's Deschutes Basin, the farm and ranch 
families of the North Unit Irrigation District are the embodiment of 
the Federal Reclamation program. Working small and medium parcels of 
land, they raise grass seed, carrot seed, and alfalfa hay, as well as 
cattle, sheep, and horses. The overriding limitation to their ability 
to compete successfully in the international marketplace is a shortage 
or water. For these families, conservation is the most efficient means 
to alleviate their shortage and succeed in the market.
  After self-financing over eight million dollars in canal lining and 
other measures to increase the efficiency of their limited water 
supplies, North Unit would like to participate in a state water 
conservation program. Unfortunately, the District's Federal contract 
prevents it from doing so. This point has been confirmed to me by 
officials with the Bureau of Reclamation, an agency of the Department 
of the Interior. Therefore, North Unit's contract must be amended. 
Since Congress actually legislatively executed the District's contract 
in a 1954 statute, it is Congress, and not the Department of the 
Interior, that must remove this contract restriction.
  These targeted contract changes are specific to the North Unit 
Irrigation District's contract. For the landowners served by the 
District, these changes will enable them to use their water resources 
more efficiently, maintain their competitiveness in the market, and 
benefit the fish and wildlife resources of both the Deschutes and 
Crooked Rivers. Our efforts are supported by the Oregon Water Resources 
Department, which has jurisdiction over State water rights issues. I 
urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I will press for 
its timely consideration.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mrs. LINCOLN (for herself and Mr. Thomas):
  S. 2503. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide 
for an extension of the period of limitation to file claims for refunds 
on account of disability determinations by the Department of Veterans 
Affairs; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, I rise today with my colleague, Senator 
Craig Thomas, to introduce the Disabled Veterans Tax Fairness Act. This 
much-needed legislation would protect disabled veterans from being 
unfairly taxed on the benefits to which they are entitled, simply 
because their disability claims were not processed in a timely manner. 
This legislation is supported by the Military Coalition, a group 
representing more than 5.5 million members of the uniformed services 
and their families.
  While the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) resolves most of its 
filed disability claims in less than a year, there are also instances 
of lost paperwork, administrative errors, and appeals of rejected 
claims that often delay thousands of disability awards for years on 
end. When this occurs, disability compensation is awarded retroactively 
and for tax purposes, a disabled veteran's previously received taxable 
military retiree pay is re-designated as nontaxable disability 
compensation. Thereby, the disabled veteran is entitled to a refund of 
taxes paid and must file an amended tax return for each applicable 
year.
  Unfortunately, under current law the IRS Code bars the filing of 
amended returns beyond the last three tax years. As a result, many of 
our disabled veterans are denied the opportunity to file a claim for 
repayment of additional years of back taxes already paid--through no 
fault of their own--even though the IRS owes them a refund for the 
taxes that were originally paid on their retiree pay.
  The Disabled Veterans Tax Fairness Act of 2006 would add an exception 
to the IRS statute of limitations for amending returns. This exception 
would allow disabled military retirees whose disability claims have 
been pending for more than 3 years to receive refunds on previous taxes 
paid for all the years their claim was pending. Specifically, the bill 
would extend the IRS three year period of limitation for amending 
returns to one year from the date a VA determination is issued.
  My father and grandfather both served our Nation in uniform and they 
taught me from an early age about the sacrifices our troops and their 
families have made to keep our Nation free. This is particularly true 
for our disabled veterans. During a time when a grateful Nation should 
be doing everything it can to honor those who have sacrificed so 
greatly on our behalf, the very least it can do is ensure they and 
their families are not unjustly penalized simply because of 
bureaucratic inefficiencies or administrative delays which are beyond 
their control. This situation is unacceptable and our veterans deserve 
better.
  That is why I am proud to introduce this legislation today to provide 
relief to our Nation's veterans. It is the least we can do for those 
whom we owe so much, and it is the least we can do to reassure future 
generations that a grateful Nation will not forget them when their 
military service is complete.

[[Page S2805]]

                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. OBAMA (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Clinton, and Mr. 
        Kerry):
  S. 2506. A bill to require Federal agencies to support health impact 
assessments and take other actions to improve health and the 
environmental quality of communities, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, this is National Public Health Week, and 
the American Public Health Association and its over 200 partner 
organizations and sponsors have organized events to raise awareness 
about the importance of public health in this nation. This year, the 
theme of National Public Health Week, ``Designing Healthy Communities: 
Raising Healthy Kids,'' focuses on building healthy communities to 
promote and protect the health of our children.
  This focus on building healthy communities is both timely and 
critical. We are losing ground with respect to the health of our 
Nation's children. Studies have found that the percentage of overweight 
children and adolescents has more than doubled in the last few decades; 
without intervention, 1 in 3 children born in 2000 can expect to 
develop diabetes in their lifetime. My home State of Illinois has the 
unfortunate distinction of having the highest number of lead-poisoned 
children. And other diseases and conditions, including high blood 
pressure and asthma, are on the rise in young populations.
  As bleak as the health situation is for so many children, there is 
good news. Many of these diseases and health conditions are completely 
preventable or can be delayed for many, many years. The American Public 
Health Association and countless other expert organizations have told 
us, and shown us, that if we make a real commitment to and investment 
in building healthy communities, we can substantially improve the 
health of our children and adults. Today I am introducing the Healthy 
Places Act of 2006, which will do just that.
  The Healthy Places Act of 2006 focuses on the built environment, 
which includes our homes, schools, workplaces, parks and recreation 
areas, business areas, and transportation systems. Where we work, live, 
and play has tremendous implications for our health, and improvements 
to these environments will lead to: greater opportunities for physical 
activity and a reduction in injuries because of safe sidewalks, biking 
paths, and parks; less reliance on personal automobiles which reduces 
toxic emissions; better access to fresh fruits and vegetables which 
leads to healthier nutrition; and the planning and building of 
``green'' homes and buildings which decreases energy consumption.
  Like many other States, Illinois has already begun to take steps to 
improve the environment. City leaders in Chicago have recognized that 
many low-income families have no access to fresh foods and medicine 
because there are no grocery stores and pharmacies in their 
neighborhoods. Retail Chicago, an initiative of the city's Department 
of Planning and Development, is now using redevelopment funds to entice 
local developers to bring grocery stores and pharmacies into these 
neighborhoods.
  The Lieutenant Governor's initiative ``Six Weeks to a Greener 
Illinois'' is another fine example. Now in its 4th week, this effort 
has encouraged Illinoisans to participate in making the State a 
healthier place to live, and rewarded those communities that are 
already taking steps to do so.
  The Healthy Places Act of 2006 would expand these and other efforts 
to improve the planning and design of communities that can promote 
healthier living. It establishes and supports health impact assessment 
programs, which would assist States and local communities in examining 
potential health effects of major health policy or programmatic 
changes. The newly created Interagency Working Group on Environmental 
Health would facilitate communication and collaboration on projects 
among the agencies in order to better address environmental health 
issues. In addition, the bill creates a grant program to address 
environmental health hazards, particularly those that contribute to 
health disparities. Finally, the Healthy Places Act provides additional 
support for research on the relationship between the built environment 
and the health status of residents as recommended by two Institute of 
Medicine's reports: ``Does the Built Environment Influence Physical 
Activity?'' and ``Rebuilding the Unity of Health and the Environment: A 
New Vision of Environmental Health for the 21st Century''.
  As the health of our children continues to decline, and our health 
expenditures continue to soar, it is imperative that the Congress take 
action, and focusing on building healthier communities is a necessary 
step in this regard. I encourage all of my colleagues to join me and 
support passage of this bill.

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