(a) The department and the health science centers and other medical facilities of the University System of Georgia shall institute a cooperative program to:

(1) Refer veterans to appropriate state and federal agencies for the purpose of filing claims to remedy medical and financial problems caused by the veterans' exposure to chemical defoliants or herbicides or other causative agents, including Agent Orange; and

(2) Provide veterans with fat tissue biopsies, genetic counseling, and genetic screening to determine if the veteran has suffered physical damage as a result of substantial exposure to chemical defoliants or herbicides or other causative agents, including Agent Orange.

(b) The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to the administration of the programs authorized by this Code section.