BILL NUMBER: SR 72ENROLLED BILL TEXT ADOPTED IN SENATE MAY 9, 2016 ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 18, 2016 INTRODUCED BY Senator Huff APRIL 18, 2016 Relative to Food Allergy Awareness Week LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST HOUSE OR SENATE RESOLUTIONS DO NOT CONTAIN A DIGEST WHEREAS, As many as 15 million people in the United States have a food allergy; and WHEREAS, Research indicates the prevalence of food allergies is increasing among children. Nearly six million children under 18 years of age have a food allergy; and WHEREAS, The eight foods that cause the majority of all food allergy reactions in the United States are shellfish, fish, milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, and wheat; and WHEREAS, Symptoms of a food-allergic reaction can include hives, vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory distress, and swelling of the throat; and WHEREAS, Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death; and WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food allergies result in more than 200,000 ambulatory care visits a year involving children under 18 years of age. Reactions typically occur when an individual unknowingly eats a food containing an ingredient to which he or she is allergic; and WHEREAS, There is no cure for a food allergy, and scientists do not understand why that is. Strict avoidance of the offending food is the only way to prevent an allergic reaction; and WHEREAS, Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life and the health of individuals with food allergies and to providing them with hope through the promise of new treatments; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That May 8 to 14, 2016, is hereby proclaimed Food Allergy Awareness Week; and be it further Resolved, That the Senate of the State of California encourages the residents of this state to increase their understanding and awareness of food allergies and anaphylaxis by visiting www.foodallergyweek.org; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.