Sen. Mattie Hunter
Filed: 4/18/2005
 
 

 




 

 		












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AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 595 




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    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 595  by replacing the 
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title with the following:
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    "AN ACT in relation to educational materials on Hepatitis 
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for veterans."; and
 
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by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the 
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following:

 
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    "Section 5. The Department of Public Health Powers and 
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Duties Law of the
Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is 
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amended  by changing Section 2310-376 as follows:
 



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    (20 ILCS 2310/2310-376)



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    Sec. 2310-376. Hepatitis C education and outreach. 

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    (a) The Illinois General Assembly finds and declares the 
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following:


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        (1) The World Health Organization characterizes 
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    Hepatitis C as a disease
of
primary concern to humanity.


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        (2) Hepatitis C is considered a silent killer; no 
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    recognizable signs or
symptoms occur until severe liver 
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    damage has occurred.


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        (3) Studies indicate that nearly 4 million Americans 
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    (1.8 percent of the
population) carry the virus HCV that 
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    causes the disease.


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        (4) 30,000 acute new infections occur each year in the 
 


 






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    United States,
and
only 25 to 30 percent are diagnosed.


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        (5) 8,000 to 10,000 Americans die from the disease each 
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    year.


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        (6) 200,000 Illinois residents may be carriers and 
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    could develop the
debilitating and potentially deadly 
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    liver disease.


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        (7) Inmates of correctional facilities have a higher 
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    incidence of
Hepatitis
C and, upon their release, present a 
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    significant health risk to the general
population.

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        (8) Illinois members of the armed services are subject 
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    to an increased risk of contracting Hepatitis due to their 
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    possible receipt of contaminated blood during a 
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    transfusion occurring for  the  treatment of wounds and due 
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    to their service in areas of the World where the disease is 
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    more prevalent and healthcare is less capable of detecting 
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    and treating the disease. Many of these service members are   
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    unaware of the danger of Hepatitis  and their increased risk 
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    of contracting the disease.

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    (b) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall conduct 
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an education and
outreach campaign, in
addition to its overall 
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effort to prevent infectious disease in Illinois, in
order to

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raise awareness about and promote prevention of Hepatitis C.

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    (c) In addition to the education and outreach campaign 
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provided in subsection (b), the Department shall develop and 
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make available to physicians, other health care providers, 
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members of the armed services, and other persons subject to an 
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increased risk of contracting Hepatitis, educational 
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materials, in written and electronic forms, on the diagnosis, 
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treatment, and prevention of the disease.  These materials shall 
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include the recommendations of the federal Centers for Disease 
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Control and Prevention and any other persons or entities 
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determined by the Department to have particular expertise on 
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Hepatitis, including the American Liver Foundation.  These 
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materials shall be written in terms that are understandable by 
 


 






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members of the general public.

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(Source: P.A. 93-129, eff. 1-1-04.)

 

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    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
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becoming law.".