Bill > H4512

This bill aims to address the issue of veterans and service members' exposure to airborne hazards and open burn pits during overseas deployments. The key provisions are: 1. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, in consultation with the Department of Veterans Services and the Massachusetts National Guard, will develop educational materials about the health effects associated with exposure to open burn pits, information on how to participate in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, and resources to assist with the registration process. 2. The Department of Public Health, Department of Veterans Services, and Massachusetts National Guard will collaborate to contact all eligible members of the Massachusetts National Guard, veterans, and U.S. Armed Forces members residing in Massachusetts to encourage them to join the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry and provide them with the necessary information and resources. 3. The bill requires the Massachusetts National Guard and Department of Veterans Services to request that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs enhance and simplify the registry's registration process by making identification verification available at community-based clinics, creating a paper registration option, and allowing deceased veterans' family members to participate on their behalf. 4. The bill also mandates that the Massachusetts National Guard's periodic health assessments determine whether members were deployed to eligible locations and exposed to open burn pits, and that those identified as potentially exposed are automatically registered in the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry.