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1 | AN ACT concerning public health.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Department of Public Health Powers and | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Duties Law of the
Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | amended by changing Section 2310-376 as follows:
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7 | (20 ILCS 2310/2310-376)
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8 | Sec. 2310-376. Hepatitis education , and outreach , and | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | prevention .
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10 | (a) The Illinois General Assembly finds and declares the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | following:
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12 | (1) An estimated 4,000,000 individuals in the United | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | States are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), 75% of | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | these individuals are unaware they are infected. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | (2) HCV is the leading cause of liver cancer and liver | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | failure and the most common reason for liver | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | transplantation in the United States. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | (3) HCV is 4 times more prevalent than HIV/AIDS and has | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | led to more than 15,000 deaths in the United States in 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | alone; 350,000 people die each year due to hepatitis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | C-related liver disease worldwide. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | (4) Two of every 3 people with chronic hepatitis C in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | this country are baby boomers born between 1945 and 1965 |
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1 | who were infected decades ago. | ||||||
2 | (5) HCV disproportionately affects minorities. African | ||||||
3 | Americans, who make up 14% of the population, account for | ||||||
4 | 22% of HCV cases in the U.S. The Hispanic community also | ||||||
5 | bears a heavier burden; chronic HCV is more aggressive and | ||||||
6 | carries a higher risk of cirrhosis for Hispanics than for | ||||||
7 | any other ethnic group. | ||||||
8 | (6) The costs for HCV patients are projected to more | ||||||
9 | than double over the next 20 years, from $30,000,000,000 to | ||||||
10 | $85,000,000,000 per year. | ||||||
11 | (7) It is estimated that over 180,000 people in this | ||||||
12 | State are infected with hepatitis C. | ||||||
13 | (8) The percentage of African Americans (19.5%) | ||||||
14 | reported in Illinois with chronic hepatitis C was higher in | ||||||
15 | 2004 than the percentage of African Americans (14.7%) | ||||||
16 | within Illinois' population. | ||||||
17 | (9) Almost one of every 3 persons infected with HIV in | ||||||
18 | this State is co-infected with hepatitis C. | ||||||
19 | (10) Forty-five percent of deaths occurring in the | ||||||
20 | co-infected population in Illinois are caused by liver | ||||||
21 | damage from chronic hepatitis C infection.
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22 | (1) The World Health Organization characterizes | ||||||
23 | hepatitis as a disease
of
primary concern to humanity.
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24 | (2) Hepatitis is considered a silent killer; no | ||||||
25 | recognizable signs or
symptoms occur until severe liver | ||||||
26 | damage has occurred.
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1 | (3) Studies indicate that nearly 4 million Americans | ||||||
2 | (1.8 percent of the
population) carry the virus HCV that | ||||||
3 | causes the disease.
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4 | (4) 30,000 acute new infections occur each year in the | ||||||
5 | United States,
and
only 25 to 30 percent are diagnosed.
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6 | (5) 8,000 to 10,000 Americans die from the disease each | ||||||
7 | year.
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8 | (6) 200,000 Illinois residents may be carriers and | ||||||
9 | could develop the
debilitating and potentially deadly | ||||||
10 | liver disease.
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11 | (11) (7) Inmates of correctional facilities have a | ||||||
12 | higher incidence of
hepatitis
and, upon their release, | ||||||
13 | present a significant health risk to the general
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14 | population.
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15 | (12) (8) Illinois members of the armed services are | ||||||
16 | subject to an increased risk of contracting hepatitis due | ||||||
17 | to their possible receipt of contaminated blood during a | ||||||
18 | transfusion occurring for the treatment of wounds and due | ||||||
19 | to their service in areas of the World where the disease is | ||||||
20 | more prevalent and healthcare is less capable of detecting | ||||||
21 | and treating the disease. Many of these service members are | ||||||
22 | unaware of the danger of hepatitis and their increased risk | ||||||
23 | of contracting the disease.
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24 | (b) The Subject to appropriation, the Department shall | ||||||
25 | conduct an education and
outreach campaign, in
addition to its | ||||||
26 | overall effort to prevent infectious disease in Illinois, in
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1 | order to
raise awareness about and promote prevention of | ||||||
2 | hepatitis.
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3 | (c) In Subject to appropriation, in addition to the | ||||||
4 | education and outreach campaign provided in subsection (b), the | ||||||
5 | Department shall develop and make available to physicians, | ||||||
6 | other health care providers, members of the armed services, and | ||||||
7 | other persons subject to an increased risk of contracting | ||||||
8 | hepatitis, educational materials, in written and electronic | ||||||
9 | forms, on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of the | ||||||
10 | disease. These materials shall include the recommendations of | ||||||
11 | the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and | ||||||
12 | shall reference the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | ||||||
13 | guidelines regarding screening any other persons or entities | ||||||
14 | determined by the Department to have particular expertise on | ||||||
15 | hepatitis, including the American Liver Foundation . These | ||||||
16 | materials shall be written in terms that are understandable by | ||||||
17 | members of the general public.
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18 | (d) The Department shall establish an Advisory Council on | ||||||
19 | Hepatitis to develop a hepatitis prevention plan. The | ||||||
20 | Department shall specify the membership, members' terms, | ||||||
21 | provisions for removal of members, chairmen, and purpose of the | ||||||
22 | Advisory Council. The Advisory Council shall consist of one | ||||||
23 | representative from each of the following State agencies or | ||||||
24 | offices, appointed by the head of each agency or office:
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25 | (1) The Department of Public Health.
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26 | (2) The Department of Public Aid.
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1 | (3) The Department of Corrections.
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2 | (4) The Department of Veterans' Affairs.
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3 | (5) The Department on Aging.
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4 | (6) The Department of Human Services.
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5 | (7) The Department of State Police.
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6 | (8) The office of the State Fire Marshal.
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7 | The Director shall appoint representatives of | ||||||
8 | organizations and advocates in the State of Illinois, | ||||||
9 | including, but not limited to, the American Liver Foundation. | ||||||
10 | The Director shall also appoint interested members of the | ||||||
11 | public, including consumers and providers of health services | ||||||
12 | and representatives of local public health agencies, to provide | ||||||
13 | recommendations and information to the members of the Advisory | ||||||
14 | Council. Members of the Advisory Council shall serve on a | ||||||
15 | voluntary, unpaid basis and are not entitled to reimbursement | ||||||
16 | for mileage or other costs they incur in connection with | ||||||
17 | performing their duties.
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18 | (e) By January 1, 2013, the Department, in consultation | ||||||
19 | with the Advisory Council, shall prepare the State Hepatitis C | ||||||
20 | Plan to guide screening, referral, and treatment services to | ||||||
21 | those infected with HCV. To ensure meaningful input by | ||||||
22 | stakeholders into the Plan, the Department shall hold 2 public | ||||||
23 | hearings at locations throughout the State.
The public hearings | ||||||
24 | shall include various stakeholders, including public health | ||||||
25 | organizations, patient advocacy organizations, organizations | ||||||
26 | representing the incarcerated population, as well as |
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1 | individuals infected with HCV. | ||||||
2 | In developing the State Hepatitis C Plan, the Department, | ||||||
3 | in consultation with the Advisory Council, is directed to | ||||||
4 | assess the current and future impact of hepatitis C on Illinois | ||||||
5 | residents, including the cost of the disease to public and | ||||||
6 | private insurers; examine existing services and access to | ||||||
7 | services; and assess the resources addressing the needs of | ||||||
8 | persons with HCV. | ||||||
9 | The Plan shall include an examination of the following in | ||||||
10 | its assessment and recommendations: | ||||||
11 | (1) Trends in the State HCV population, including, but | ||||||
12 | not limited to, the use of State surveillance data of | ||||||
13 | persons with HCV for the purpose of having proper estimates | ||||||
14 | of the number of persons in the State infected with the | ||||||
15 | hepatitis C virus. | ||||||
16 | (2) The current economic impact to public and private | ||||||
17 | insurers of HCV and related disorders, including liver | ||||||
18 | disease, and those persons co-infected with HIV/AIDS. This | ||||||
19 | examination shall include the cost of direct and indirect | ||||||
20 | care paid by Medicaid and other federal-State funded | ||||||
21 | programs and the impact of the federal Affordable Care Act | ||||||
22 | on this population. | ||||||
23 | (3) An assessment of the existing access landscape, | ||||||
24 | including existing screening programs, education | ||||||
25 | resources, and treatment options for HCV-infected persons. | ||||||
26 | (4) The impact of HCV on the prison population in this |
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1 | State and efforts to screen and treat HCV-infected inmates | ||||||
2 | prior to release. | ||||||
3 | No later than January 1, 2016, the State Hepatitis C Plan | ||||||
4 | shall include a strategy to screen a targeted sample of persons | ||||||
5 | born between 1945 and 1965. | ||||||
6 | (Source: P.A. 93-129, eff. 1-1-04; 94-406, eff. 8-2-05.)
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7 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
8 | becoming law.
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