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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 5,400,000 individuals in the United | ||||||
13 | States are infected with viral hepatitis B (HBV) and | ||||||
14 | hepatitis C (HCV), 75% of these individuals are unaware | ||||||
15 | they are infected. | ||||||
16 | (2) HBV and HCV are leading causes of liver cancer and | ||||||
17 | liver failure and the most common reasons for liver | ||||||
18 | transplantation in the United States. | ||||||
19 | (3) Viral hepatitis is 5 times more prevalent than | ||||||
20 | HIV/AIDS and has led to nearly 17,000 deaths in the United | ||||||
21 | States in 2007 alone; more than 1,000,000 people die each | ||||||
22 | year due to viral hepatitis B and C-related liver disease | ||||||
23 | worldwide. |
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1 | (4) Two of every 3 people with chronic hepatitis C in | ||||||
2 | this country are baby boomers born between 1945 and 1965 | ||||||
3 | who were infected decades ago. | ||||||
4 | (5) HCV disproportionately affects minorities. African | ||||||
5 | Americans, who make up 14% of the population, account for | ||||||
6 | 22% of HCV cases in the U.S. The Hispanic community also | ||||||
7 | bears a heavier burden; chronic HCV is more aggressive and | ||||||
8 | carries a higher risk of cirrhosis for Hispanics than for | ||||||
9 | any other ethnic group. Immigrants from mainland China and | ||||||
10 | Southeast Asia also have high rates of hepatitis C. | ||||||
11 | (6) HBV also impacts minorities disproportionately. | ||||||
12 | One in 10 to 12 Asian Americans in the U.S. is chronically | ||||||
13 | infected with HBV. Asian Americans make up nearly 50% of | ||||||
14 | the 1,400,000 individuals with chronic HBV infections. In | ||||||
15 | addition, among all racial and ethnic groups, African | ||||||
16 | Americans had the highest new cases of HBV in 2009. | ||||||
17 | (7) The costs for viral hepatitis patients are | ||||||
18 | projected to more than double over the next 20 years, from | ||||||
19 | $30,000,000,000 to $85,000,000,000 per year. | ||||||
20 | (8) It is estimated that over 180,000 people in this | ||||||
21 | State are infected with hepatitis C. | ||||||
22 | (9) The percentage of African Americans (19.5%) | ||||||
23 | reported in Illinois with chronic hepatitis C was higher in | ||||||
24 | 2004 than the percentage of African Americans (14.7%) | ||||||
25 | within Illinois' population. | ||||||
26 | (10) Almost one of every 3 persons infected with HIV in |
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1 | this State is co-infected with hepatitis B or C. | ||||||
2 | (11) Forty-five percent of deaths occurring in the | ||||||
3 | co-infected population in Illinois are caused by liver | ||||||
4 | damage from chronic hepatitis B and C infections.
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5 | (1) The World Health Organization characterizes | ||||||
6 | hepatitis as a disease
of
primary concern to humanity.
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7 | (2) Hepatitis is considered a silent killer; no | ||||||
8 | recognizable signs or
symptoms occur until severe liver | ||||||
9 | damage has occurred.
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10 | (3) Studies indicate that nearly 4 million Americans | ||||||
11 | (1.8 percent of the
population) carry the virus HCV that | ||||||
12 | causes the disease.
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13 | (4) 30,000 acute new infections occur each year in the | ||||||
14 | United States,
and
only 25 to 30 percent are diagnosed.
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15 | (5) 8,000 to 10,000 Americans die from the disease each | ||||||
16 | year.
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17 | (6) 200,000 Illinois residents may be carriers and | ||||||
18 | could develop the
debilitating and potentially deadly | ||||||
19 | liver disease.
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20 | (12) (7) Inmates of correctional facilities have a | ||||||
21 | higher incidence of
hepatitis
and, upon their release, | ||||||
22 | present a significant health risk to the general
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23 | population.
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24 | (13) (8) Illinois members of the armed services are | ||||||
25 | subject to an increased risk of contracting hepatitis due | ||||||
26 | to their possible receipt of contaminated blood during a |
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1 | transfusion occurring for the treatment of wounds and due | ||||||
2 | to their service in areas of the World where the disease is | ||||||
3 | more prevalent and healthcare is less capable of detecting | ||||||
4 | and treating the disease. Many of these service members are | ||||||
5 | unaware of the danger of viral hepatitis and their | ||||||
6 | increased risk of contracting the disease.
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7 | (b) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall conduct | ||||||
8 | an education and
outreach campaign, in
addition to its overall | ||||||
9 | effort to prevent infectious disease in Illinois, in
order to
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10 | raise awareness about and promote prevention of viral | ||||||
11 | hepatitis.
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12 | (c) Subject to appropriation, in addition to the education | ||||||
13 | and outreach campaign provided in subsection (b), the | ||||||
14 | Department shall develop and make available to physicians, | ||||||
15 | other health care providers, members of the armed services, and | ||||||
16 | other persons subject to an increased risk of contracting | ||||||
17 | hepatitis, educational materials, in written and electronic | ||||||
18 | forms, on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of the | ||||||
19 | disease. These materials shall include the recommendations of | ||||||
20 | the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and | ||||||
21 | shall reference the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | ||||||
22 | guidelines regarding screening any other persons or entities | ||||||
23 | determined by the Department to have particular expertise on | ||||||
24 | hepatitis, including the American Liver Foundation . These | ||||||
25 | materials shall be written in terms that are understandable by | ||||||
26 | members of the general public.
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1 | (d) The Department shall establish an Advisory Council on | ||||||
2 | Viral Hepatitis to develop a hepatitis prevention plan. The | ||||||
3 | Department shall specify the membership, members' terms, | ||||||
4 | provisions for removal of members, chairmen, and purpose of the | ||||||
5 | Advisory Council. The Advisory Council shall consist of one | ||||||
6 | representative from each of the following State agencies or | ||||||
7 | offices, appointed by the head of each agency or office:
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8 | (1) The Department of Public Health.
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9 | (2) The Department of Public Aid.
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10 | (3) The Department of Corrections.
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11 | (4) The Department of Veterans' Affairs.
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12 | (5) The Department on Aging.
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13 | (6) The Department of Human Services.
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14 | (7) The Department of State Police.
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15 | (8) The office of the State Fire Marshal.
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16 | The Director shall appoint representatives of | ||||||
17 | organizations and advocates in the State of Illinois, | ||||||
18 | including, but not limited to, the American Liver Foundation , | ||||||
19 | an organization focused on health advocacy for the | ||||||
20 | Asian-American community, and an organization focused on | ||||||
21 | promoting prison reform and advocating for the incarcerated | ||||||
22 | population . The Director shall also appoint interested members | ||||||
23 | of the public, including consumers and providers of health | ||||||
24 | services and representatives of local public health agencies, | ||||||
25 | to provide recommendations and information to the members of | ||||||
26 | the Advisory Council. Members of the Advisory Council shall |
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1 | serve on a voluntary, unpaid basis and are not entitled to | ||||||
2 | reimbursement for mileage or other costs they incur in | ||||||
3 | connection with performing their duties.
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4 | (e) By January 1, 2013, the Department, in consultation | ||||||
5 | with the Advisory Council, shall prepare the State Viral | ||||||
6 | Hepatitis Plan to guide screening and immunization, referral, | ||||||
7 | and treatment services to those infected with HBV and HCV. To | ||||||
8 | ensure meaningful input by stakeholders into the Plan, the | ||||||
9 | Department shall hold 2 public hearings at locations throughout | ||||||
10 | the State.
The public hearings shall include various | ||||||
11 | stakeholders, including public health organizations, patient | ||||||
12 | advocacy organizations, organizations representing the | ||||||
13 | incarcerated population, as well as individuals infected with | ||||||
14 | HBV and HCV. | ||||||
15 | In developing the State Viral Hepatitis Plan, the | ||||||
16 | Department, in consultation with the Advisory Council, is | ||||||
17 | directed to assess the current and future impact of hepatitis B | ||||||
18 | and C on Illinois residents, including the cost of the disease | ||||||
19 | to public and private insurers; examine existing services and | ||||||
20 | access to services; and assess the resources addressing the | ||||||
21 | needs of persons with HBV and HCV. | ||||||
22 | The Plan shall include an examination of the following in | ||||||
23 | its assessment and recommendations: | ||||||
24 | (1) Trends in the State HBV and HCV population, | ||||||
25 | including, but not limited to, the use of State | ||||||
26 | surveillance data of persons with HBV and HCV for the |
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1 | purpose of having proper estimates of the number of persons | ||||||
2 | in the State infected with HBV and HCV. | ||||||
3 | (2) The current economic impact to public and private | ||||||
4 | insurers of HBV and HCV and related disorders, including | ||||||
5 | liver disease, and those persons co-infected with | ||||||
6 | HIV/AIDS. This examination shall include the cost of direct | ||||||
7 | and indirect care paid by Medicaid and other federal-State | ||||||
8 | funded programs and the impact of the federal Affordable | ||||||
9 | Care Act on this population. | ||||||
10 | (3) An assessment of the existing access landscape, | ||||||
11 | including existing screening and immunization programs, | ||||||
12 | education resources, and treatment options for | ||||||
13 | HBV-infected and HCV-infected persons. | ||||||
14 | (4) The impact of HBV and HCV on the prison population | ||||||
15 | in this State and efforts to screen and treat HBV-infected | ||||||
16 | and HCV-infected inmates prior to release. | ||||||
17 | No later than January 1, 2016, the State Viral Hepatitis | ||||||
18 | Plan shall include a strategy to screen a targeted sample of | ||||||
19 | persons born between 1945 and 1965 for HCV, and a strategy to | ||||||
20 | screen a targeted sample of high risk individuals for HBV. | ||||||
21 | (Source: P.A. 93-129, eff. 1-1-04; 94-406, eff. 8-2-05.)
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22 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
23 | becoming law.
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