A. The Gulf War Syndrome Outreach Committee is hereby created under the direction of the Department. The Committee shall be composed of at least seven (7) members, two of whom shall be Gulf War veterans, one a Gulf War era veteran, and one the Director of the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs, or designee, for a term commensurate with his or her term of appointment as Director. The other members shall be health care professionals with demonstrated skills in those areas related to toxic chemical and other causative agent contamination. The members of the Committee shall be appointed by the Commissioner for terms of two (2) years. Members may be removed for cause and vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as provided for original appointments. The members shall receive no compensation except for travel reimbursement for their actual and necessary expenses as provided for in the State Travel Reimbursement Act.

B. The Committee shall have the following duties:

1. To advise the Commissioner in developing and conducting an outreach program to identify and inform veterans of the possible detrimental effects of exposure to causative agents during the Gulf War;

2. To obtain and provide information, as specified in this act, on the medical, scientific, epidemiological and any other data on the effects of exposure to causative agents during the Gulf War by veterans;

3. To provide veterans with a list of the appropriate health care professionals or medical institutions for diagnosis of signs and symptoms related to exposure to causative agents during the Gulf War; and

4. To confer with other states conducting similar studies related to causative agents during the Gulf War.

The Committee may request and shall receive any necessary data or assistance of any state agency to carry out the duties of the Committee.

The Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs, at the request of the Committee, shall obtain through the Freedom of Information Act the location of veterans in Oklahoma who served during the Gulf War for purposes of identifying veterans who may have been exposed to causative agents during the Gulf War.

Added by Laws 1997, c. 52, § 5, eff. July 1, 1997.