BILL NUMBER: SCR 88ENROLLED BILL TEXT ADOPTED IN SENATE JUNE 7, 2012 ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 31, 2012 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 29, 2012 INTRODUCED BY Senator Alquist (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Beall) APRIL 30, 2012 Relative to Arthritis Awareness Month. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SCR 88, Alquist. Arthritis Awareness Month. This measure would proclaim the month of May 2012 as Arthritis Awareness Month. WHEREAS, Arthritis includes more than 100 rheumatic diseases and conditions that affect joints, the tissues that surround joints, and other connective tissue; and WHEREAS, Arthritis causes pain and loss of movement, and can limit everyday activities such as walking and dressing; and WHEREAS, Arthritis affects an estimated 50 million adults living with some form of doctor-diagnosed arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia, representing approximately 1 in 5 adults in the United States; and WHEREAS, An estimated 294,000 children under 18 years of age have some form of arthritis or rheumatic condition, representing approximately 1 in every 250 children in the United States; and WHEREAS, Arthritis is a chronic health problem and the nation's leading cause of physical disability among Americans over 15 years of age; and WHEREAS, Arthritis costs the United States economy more than $128 billion each year in lost wages and health care costs; and WHEREAS, Arthritis results in 992,100 hospitalizations and 44 million outpatient visits each year; and WHEREAS, In California there are 5.1 million people living with arthritis, including 38,000 children; and WHEREAS, An estimated 67 million adults 18 years of age and older, representing 25 percent of the population of the United States, will have doctor-diagnosed arthritis by the year 2030; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature understands the extent of, and sympathizes with, the severity of the impact of arthritis on California; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature recognizes the month of May 2012 as Arthritis Awareness Month and appreciates the efforts of the California Arthritis Foundation Council to seek access to care for all Californians; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.