AMENDMENTS NEEDED ON H.R. 5710-Homeland Security Act - 11/14/02
WE NEED YOUR HELP CONTACTING YOUR 2
US
SENATORS TODAY!
FORWARD TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS!
Wednesday we put out an emergency alert to
contact US Representatives to oppose the Homeland Security Bill.
Unfortunately it was passed in the House later that evening only hours after it had been
posted for the first time. Many Congressional members in
both chambers were furious today when they finally got to read the fine print of the new version of
the bill and found that provisions had been inserted that had not been discussed in the six months
of debate on the antiterrorism department, or that had been cut in the Senate bill.
One new insertion that was never debated or
considered in a hearing (Title III section 304) gives the authority to the Secretary of HHS to call
for universal - absent of informed consent - smallpox vaccination and other broad categorizations
of smallpox interventions with no personal, religious or medical exemptions.
In addition, there are no guarantees for humane quarantine laws.
Another highly controversial last minute insertion which has nothing to do with Homeland
Security would let drug giant Eli Lily off the hook for thimerosal based vaccine induced injuries
and deaths.
The U.S. Senate adjourned initial deliberations
on HR 5710, Homeland Security Act, yesterday. It is our
belief that a vote may be held today. Due to a variety
of reasons, it now appears that amending HR 5710 in the Senate is possible, but everybody must help
getting the message to the
US
Senate..
Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education
(PROVE - www.vaccineinfo.net) and The Connecticut Vaccine Information Alliance (CTVIA -
www.ctvia.org) have formulated proposed amendments to HR 5710 to address the vaccination concerns.
The first proposed amendment inserts informed
consent and exemption provisions relating to vaccination and medical treatment during a public
health emergency. This amendment also addresses humane
quarantine. The second proposed amendment strikes
vaccine language that does not pertain to the Homeland Security Act.
This language was of serious concern to parents of thimerosal vaccine injured children.
For more information on the proposed deleted language see the
November 14, 2002
Washington Post article entitled, "Homeland Bill Rider Aids Drug
Makers" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56918-2002Nov14.html
PROVE and CTVIA are asking for your help in
communicating these proposed amendments to your 2
U.S.
Senators. Link to http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
to look up phone numbers and email contact information.
Please phone and email your 2
U.S.
Senators requesting that they sponsor these language changes.
If your Senator has questions or feedback regarding the proposed amendments please contact
PROVE or CTVIA.
IF YOUR SENATORS REFUSE TO SPONSOR OR SUPPORT
THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE CHANGES THEN TELL YOUR SENATORS TO VOTE NO ON THE HOMELAND SECURITY BILL.
The proposed PROVE and CTVIA amendments are as
follows:
H.R. 5710-Homeland Security Act
Proposed Amendment 1:
SEC. 304. CONDUCT
OF CERTAIN PUBLIC HEALTH-RELATED ACTIVITIES.
Insert:
(d) EXEMPTIONS FOR COUNTERMEASURES FOR
CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, RADIOLOGICAL, NUCLEAR AND OTHER EMERGING TERRORIST THREATS.
1.
No citizen shall be forced to be vaccinated or receive
medical treatments contrary to their own physician's or other health care provider's individual
professional judgment.
2.
No citizen shall be forced to be vaccinated or receive
medical treatment contrary to their personal religious beliefs or practices.
3.
No citizen shall be forced to be vaccinated or receive
medical treatments that violate the judgment of the person's conscience.
4.
Health care personnel shall not be forced to carry out
orders contrary to the health care provider's conscientious beliefs.
5.
A vaccine or medical treatment shall not be
administered to any adult or child without the voluntary informed consent of the adult, the
custodial parent or legal guardian of the minor child or ward, or the conservator of the individual
to be vaccinated or medically treated.
(e) QUARANTINE OR ISOLATION IN RESPONSE TO
CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, RADIOLOGICAL, NUCLEAR AND OTHER EMERGING TERRORIST THREATS.
When a public health emergency has been
declared relating to a communicable disease;
1.
Citizens identified as being infected with the
declared disease may be subjected to humane quarantine in order to prevent the spreading of disease.
2.
Citizens identified as being exposed to the
declared disease who claim a medical, religious, or conscientious exemption to vaccination or
medical treatment may be subjected to humane quarantine for the duration of the incubation period of
the disease in order to prevent the spreading of disease. Such
citizens shall not be involuntarily quarantined with those who are infected or contagious.
3.
Citizens claiming a medical, religious, or
conscientious exemption who have not been identified as being exposed shall not be involuntarily
quarantined.
4.
Individuals or family members who regularly live
together or where one person regularly provides essential support for another shall be permitted to
stay together in either quarantine or isolation.
5.
Custodial parents, legal guardians, or
conservators of minor children, wards, or conservatees who may be quarantined or isolated shall be
allowed to remain with their minor children, wards, or conservatees in quarantine or isolation.
6.
Quarantine and isolation must be by the least
restrictive means necessary to prevent the spread of a communicable disease to others and may
include, but are not limited to, confinement to private homes.
Proposed Amendment 2:
Strike
SEC. 1714. CLARIFICATION OF DEFINITION OF MANUFACTURER.
Strike
SEC. 1715. CLARIFICATION OF DEFINITION OF VACCINE-RELATED INJURY OR DEATH.
Strike
SEC. 1716. CLARIFICATION OF DEFINITION OF VACCINE.
Strike
SEC. 1717. EFFECTIVE DATE.
More information will be forthcoming as we
obtain it.
PROVE & CTVIA Position on HR 5710: OPPOSE unless AMENDED
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