95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
SB0552


 
Introduced 2/8/2007, by Sen. Ms. Mattie Hunter
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 		













New Act










    Creates the Office of Healthy Lifestyles within the Department of Public Health.  Sets out the goals and duties of the Office of Healthy Lifestyles. Effective immediately.
















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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
















 


 


A BILL FOR









 











SB0552

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    AN ACT concerning State government.

 
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    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
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represented in the General Assembly:


 
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    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Office 
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of Healthy Lifestyles Act.
 
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    Section 5. Office of Healthy Lifestyles. There is hereby 
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created the Office of Healthy Lifestyles within the Department 
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of Public Health. The Office of Healthy Lifestyles shall:
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        (1) Create a Healthy Lifestyle Coalition to assure 
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    consistency of the public health and private sector 
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    approach to dealing with programs that address the problems 
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    that affect overweight and obese individuals, to provide a 
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    forum for discussing the issues that affect healthy 
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    lifestyles, and to identify the best practices that can be 
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    replicated.
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        (2) Create a statewide voluntary private sector 
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    partnership and recognition program for employers, 
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    merchants, restaurants, and other private sector 
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    businesses to encourage the development or further 
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    advancement of current programs that encourage healthy 
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    lifestyles.
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        (3) Solicit, accept, and expend grants, gifts, 
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    bequests, donations, and other funds from any source for 
 


 






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    programs that will enable the State to accomplish the goals 
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    of this program.

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        (4) Establish as a goal to increase the prevalence of 
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    healthy weight among all people in the State, because 
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    obesity leads to diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and 
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    kidney failure. These diseases often arise in older age as 
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    a result of unhealthy lifestyles that began during a 
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    person's youth and place an undue financial burden on 
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    individuals, the healthcare industry, and State healthcare 
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    programs.
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        (5) Consider the resources of the local health 
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    departments and recommend ongoing relationships, as 
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    appropriate, between local health departments, family 
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    resource networks, faith-based organizations, cooperative 
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    extension services, farm bureaus, and other healthcare 
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    providers.
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        (6) Encourage the development of incentives for 
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    participation in employee wellness programs. Incentives 
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    may be based upon, but should not be limited to, the 
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    employee's completion of health questionnaires or 
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    participating in healthy lifestyles initiatives and may 
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    use experiences of successful initiatives that have 
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    occurred in this State. The action plan should include 
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    among its targets State government employees in this 
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    incentive program.
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        (7) Build upon existing initiatives that focus on any 
 


 






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    of the Office's goals, soliciting input from these 
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    initiatives, and eliminating duplication of efforts.
 

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