California Assembly Bill ACR64 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: ACR 64AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 19, 2009 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Ma (Coauthors: Assembly Members Brownley, Eng, Evans, Fong, Lieu, Monning, Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Torlakson, Torrico, and Yamada) APRIL 20, 2009 Relative to Hepatitis B Awareness Month. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACR 64, as amended, Ma. Hepatitis B. This measure would declare May 2009, to be Hepatitis B Awareness Month in California,  declare the Legislature's support of the goals and ideals of   recognize May 19, 2009, as  World Hepatitis Awareness Day, and call on all interested parties to come together to raise awareness and educate the public on hepatitis B and to make recommendations on ways to implement best practices in hepatitis B prevention and treatment. Fiscal committee: no. WHEREAS, May 19, 2009, is World Hepatitis Awareness Day; and WHEREAS, California does not currently have a comprehensive statewide plan addressing the prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B for all Californians; and WHEREAS, Chronic hepatitis B is a condition that affects the human liver, and when left untreated, can lead to further complications, including cirrhosis, liver cancer, and ultimately, liver failure and death; and WHEREAS, Chronic hepatitis B infection is among the top three causes of cancer in the world and causes the death of one person every 30 seconds; and WHEREAS, In the United States, it is estimated that up to 2 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis B; and WHEREAS, More than 400,000 Californians are chronically infected with hepatitis B; and WHEREAS, Chronic hepatitis B disproportionately affects certain communities of color. For example, chronic hepatitis B and liver cancer are the greatest health disparity for Asians and Pacific Islanders; and WHEREAS, Asians and Pacific Islanders comprise 13 percent of the population of Los Angeles County and suffer from a rate of liver cancer more than triple  than that of non-Hispanic whites; and WHEREAS, San Francisco has the highest proportion of Asian and Pacific Islander populations in the continental United States and  ,  correspondingly, has the highest rate of liver cancer in the nation; and, WHEREAS, Chronic hepatitis B is preventable and in many cases can be cured or managed using currently available treatments; and WHEREAS,  But for many reasons   For many reasons, however  , those at risk for hepatitis B infection are not receiving prevention information, while those chronically infected are not receiving treatment; and WHEREAS, Given that chronic hepatitis B is a lifelong condition, some who are at risk refuse to be tested out of fear that a positive diagnosis will be considered as a permanent, preexisting condition for health care insurance underwriting purposes and will thereby put their future health care coverage at risk, especially if laid off and rehired by a second employer; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature declares May 2009, to be Hepatitis B Awareness Month in California and  supports the goals and ideals of   recognizes May 19, 2009, as  World Hepatitis Awareness Day; and be it further  Resolved, That  Resolved,  That  the Legislature calls on all interested parties, including, but not limited to, the public and private sector, for-profit sector, the private nonprofit sector, and the philanthropic community  ,  to come together to raise awareness and educate the public on hepatitis B and to make recommendations on ways to implement best practices in hepatitis B prevention and treatment; and be it further,  Resolved, That Resolved,  That  the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.