FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 7, 1998
Contact: Joyce Riley vonKleist,R.N.,B.S.N.
Capt. USAF inactive reserve

NEWS RELEASE!

BIOLOGICAL TESTING LAW (Sec.1520) REPEALED!

For over twenty years the Department of Defense (DoD)or their contractors were allowed to use the American people as "Guinea pigs" for testing of chemical or biological agents. Since July 30th, 1977, the United States Code annotated Title 50, Chapter 32, Section 1520 remained on the books until drawn into the arena of public discussion on talk radio.

Last year, Joyce Riley vonKleist R.N., presented this as a topic of discussion on several national radio talk shows and was immediately greeted with skepticism and ridicule by many news directors and editors who refused to acknowledge the existence of such a law. The debate raged on for several months and many listeners took the initiative and the time to research this law only to find that it indeed existed! At the suggestion of the AGWVA, thousands of letters and phone calls poured in to public officials' offices demanding an explanation and their position statement on this law.

Due to overwhelming public outcry, section 1520 was quietly repealed by the passing of H. R. 1119, the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal years 1998 and 1999. Section 1078 of this bill prohibits the DoD, either directly or by contract, from conducting tests or experiments using chemical or biological agents on human subjects (with exceptions). The DoD is permitted to conduct such a test or experiment if informed consent is obtained. According to U. S. Senator Olympia Snowe (ME), the conference report on H. R. 1119 was passed by the Senate, by a vote of 90-10 on November 6, 1997 and signed into law by President Clinton on November 18th, 1997.

Because of persistence and tenacity, the AGWVA was able to generate enough public attention on this issue to effect this change.

Joyce Riley vonKleist stated, "We, at the American Gulf War Veterans Association will continue in our efforts in preventing the spread of illnesses across this country by providing credible and verifiable information to the mainstream media and the American people. This is just one more case where talk radio has had an positive impact."

To contact the AGWVA by phone, call: 1-573-378-6049
OR by mail at: A.G.W.V.A., P.O. Box 85, Versailles, Mo. 65084

"There can be a million lies but there is only ONE Truth"

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