94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HB0904

 

Introduced 2/2/2005, by Rep. Constance A. Howard

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Hepatitis C Screening and Awareness Act. Requires the Department of Public Health to establish an Advisory Council on Hepatitis C to review, recommend changes to, and solicit funds to implement a Hepatitis C prevention plan. Requires the Department to (i) establish and promote Hepatitis C educational programs as an integral part of its health promotion and disease prevention efforts in order to raise public awareness, educate consumers, and educate and train health care professionals and human services providers and (ii) identify resources for Hepatitis C education, screening, and treatment and coordinate the efforts of existing organizations with new programs and with each other so as to maximize education and access to services. Sets forth strategies that the Department may use to raise public awareness of the causes, including risk factors, and the nature of Hepatitis C, the value of prevention and early detection, and options for diagnosing and treating the disease. Requires the Department to use the strategies, protocols, and guidelines adopted by the National Institute of Public Health on Hepatitis C for educating physicians and health professionals and training providers on the most recent scientific and medical information on Hepatitis C detection, diagnosis, treatment, and therapeutic decision-making. Provides that the following persons shall be screened for Hepatitis C using the most cost-efficient methods available and using generally accepted protocols for screening: (1) prisoners entering State correctional institutions or facilities; and (2) employees of the Department of Corrections who come into contact with the blood or body fluids of a prisoner. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1     AN ACT concerning health.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5 Hepatitis C Screening and Awareness Act.
 
6     Section 5. Definition. In this Act, "Department" means the
7 Illinois Department of Public Health.
 
8     Section 10. Advisory Council; educational programs and
9 resources.
10     (a) The Department shall establish an Advisory Council on
11 Hepatitis C to review, recommend changes to, and solicit funds
12 to implement a Hepatitis C prevention plan. The Department
13 shall specify the membership, members' terms, provisions for
14 removal of members, chairman, and purpose of the Advisory
15 Council. The Advisory Council shall consist of one
16 representative from each of the following State agencies or
17 offices, appointed by the head of each agency or office:
18         (1) The Department of Public Health.
19         (2) The Department of Public Aid.
20         (3) The Department of Corrections.
21         (4) The Department of Veterans' Affairs.
22         (5) The Department on Aging.
23         (6) The Department of Human Services.
24         (7) The Department of State Police.
25         (8) Office of the State Fire Marshal.
26     The Advisory Council shall also include representatives of
27 organizations and advocates in the State of Illinois,
28 including, but not limited to, the American Liver Foundation.
29 The Advisory Council shall also include interested members of
30 the public, including consumers and providers of health
31 services, to provide recommendations and information to the

 

 

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1 Advisory Council.
2     (b) The Department shall establish and promote Hepatitis C
3 educational programs as an integral part of its health
4 promotion and disease prevention efforts in order to raise
5 public awareness, educate consumers, and educate and train
6 health care professionals and human services providers.
7     (c) The Department shall identify resources for Hepatitis C
8 education, screening, and treatment and shall coordinate the
9 efforts of existing organizations with new programs and with
10 each other so as to maximize education and access to services.
 
11     Section 15. Strategies for raising public awareness. The
12 Department may use the following strategies for raising public
13 awareness of the causes, including risk factors, and the nature
14 of Hepatitis C, the value of prevention and early detection,
15 and options for diagnosing and treating the disease:
16         (1) An outreach campaign utilizing print, radio, and
17     television public service announcements, advertisements,
18     posters, and other materials.
19         (2) Community forums.
20         (3) Health information and risk factor assessments at
21     public events.
22         (4) Targeting at-risk populations.
23         (5) Providing reliable information to policy makers.
24         (6) Distributing information through local health
25     agencies, schools, employer wellness programs, physicians,
26     hospitals, health maintenance organizations, prisons,
27     nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations,
28     State fairs, and Department and local public health
29     offices.
30         (7) Identifying and obtaining educational materials,
31     including brochures and videotapes, that translate
32     accurately the latest scientific information on Hepatitis
33     C into easy-to-understand terms.
34         (8) Building a statewide capacity to provide
35     information and referrals on all aspects of Hepatitis C,

 

 

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1     including, but not limited to, educational materials,
2     counseling, and patient support groups.
 
3     Section 20. Educating physicians and health professionals.
4 The Department shall use the strategies, protocols, and
5 guidelines adopted by the National Institute of Public Health
6 on Hepatitis C for educating physicians and health
7 professionals and training providers on the most recent
8 scientific and medical information on Hepatitis C detection,
9 diagnosis, treatment, and therapeutic decision-making. The
10 guidelines may include, but need not be limited to, the
11 following:
12         (1) Tracking and reporting of both acute and chronic
13     cases of Hepatitis C by public health officials.
14         (2) A cost-efficient plan to screen the prison
15     population.
16         (3) Protocols that may be used within the Department of
17     Corrections to enable the Department of Corrections to
18     provide appropriate treatment to prisoners with Hepatitis
19     C.
20         (4) Protocols for the education of correctional
21     officers and other correctional employees who come into
22     contact with prisoners diagnosed with Hepatitis C.
23         (5) Protocols for the education of public safety and
24     public health employees who come into contact with persons
25     diagnosed with Hepatitis C.
 
26     Section 25. Hepatitis C screenings required. The following
27 persons shall be screened for Hepatitis C using the most
28 cost-efficient methods available and using generally accepted
29 protocols for screening:
30         (1) Prisoners entering State correctional institutions
31     or facilities.
32         (2) Employees of the Department of Corrections who come
33     into contact with the blood or body fluids of a prisoner.
 

 

 

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