Earlier this week, the New York and New Jersey Senate delegations made history of a sort by introducing the first Senate 9/11 health bill.  Known as the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2009, this legislation would provide help to people who became sick after the attacks.

Detective James Zadroga is believed by some to be the first individual who died as a result of exposure to the World Trade Center site.  The new bill, which is similar to something introduced in the House of Representatives in February, is obviously named in his honor.

As for its effects, passage of the bill would reopen the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund would reopen, along with creating a monitoring and treatment center.

Then here’s the bottom line in terms of financial ramifications: all of this would come with an estimated price tag of $12 billion.

However, Richard Sisk reports that all of this may be moot, writing, “Prospects for passage of the bill are iffy.  Similar versions have failed to get to the House floor, and the White House has yet to get behind a $12 billion package that could weigh down President Obama’s already controversial health care proposals.”