BILL NUMBER: ACR 39 AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 20, 2013 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 14, 2013 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Perea ( Coauthors: Assembly Members Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Bigelow, Bloom, Blumenfield, Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bradford, Brown, Buchanan, Ian Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chesbro, Conway, Cooley, Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eggman, Fong, Fox, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gordon, Gorell, Gray, Grove, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Jones, Levine, Linder, Lowenthal, Maienschein, Mansoor, Medina, Melendez, Mitchell, Morrell, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Patterson, John A. Pérez, V. Manuel Pérez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Salas, Skinner, Stone, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wieckowski, Wilk, Williams, and Yamada ) MARCH 20, 2013 Relative to Fight Against Cancer Day. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACR 39, as amended, Perea. American Cancer Society Day. This measure would designate May 22, 2013, as Fight Against Cancer Day. Fiscal committee: no. WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society, originally named the American Society for the Control of Cancer, was established in 1913 and has 100 years of milestones in the fight against cancer; and WHEREAS, The Women's Field Army started raising money and educating the public about cancer in 1937; and WHEREAS, In 1944, the American Cancer Society prioritized the funding of cancer research and has, to date, funded 46 Nobel Laureates and is the largest nongovernmental, not-for-profit funding source of cancer research; and WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society made a connection between lung cancer and smoking in 1950, which led to education and laws that have greatly reduced smoking rates; and WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society helped seek passage of the Cancer Act of 1971, which established the National Cancer Institute and now funds billions of dollars annually for research; and WHEREAS, Relay For Life was launched by an American Cancer Society volunteer in 1985 and is now the largest grassroots fundraising event in the world, having raised over $3 billion to date and raising $400 million annually to fund cancer research, education, advocacy, and service for cancer patients; and WHEREAS, In 1997, the American Cancer Society opened the doors to the National Cancer Information Center which receives nearly one million calls annually seeking information on cancer; and WHEREAS, In 2003, American Cancer Society researchers linked obesity to most types of cancer and concluded that obesity could account for 14 percent of cancer deaths in men and 20 percent of cancer deaths in women; and WHEREAS, In 2006, for the first time in history, the actual number of cancer deaths in the United States declined thanks in large part to the American Cancer Society's groundbreaking and tireless work in cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment; and WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society and its advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, were successful in gaining support and passage of legislation granting the Food and Drug Administration regulatory authority over tobacco products; and WHEREAS, In 2012, the American Cancer Society reported that cancer death rates had declined by 20 percent over the last 20 years, which is the equivalent of 1.2 million lives saved; and WHEREAS, On Wednesday, May 22, 2013, the American Cancer Society, "The Official Sponsor of Birthdays," will celebrate its 100th birthday; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates May 22, 2013, as Fight Against Cancer Day to recognize the American Cancer Society's 100 years of fighting cancer; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature urges all citizens of our state to join together to finish the fight against cancer; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.