Bill Text: IL HR1062 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Designates May of 2016 as "Hepatitis C Awareness Month" in the State of Illinois.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)

Status: (Passed) 2016-06-30 - Resolution Adopted [HR1062 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2015-HR1062-Introduced.html

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HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The month of May is nationally recognized as
Hepatitis Awareness Month, thanks to the "Know More Hepatitis"
campaign initiative undertaken by the United States Centers for
Disease Control's Division of Viral Hepatitis; the campaign is
designed to increase awareness about the hidden epidemic that
affects the lives of so many; and
WHEREAS, Hepatitis is a disease that primarily affects the
liver through inflammation; toxins, certain drugs, heavy
alcohol use, and bacterial and viral infections can all cause
hepatitis; the most common types are Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B,
and Hepatitis C, each caused by three different viruses; and
WHEREAS, Hepatitis is particularly dangerous because the
symptoms do not manifest upon contraction and in some cases,
not even in more advanced stages; this unfortunately leads to
individuals going unaware of their infection; and
WHEREAS, Of the three most prevalent types of hepatitis,
the Hepatitis C virus is the most pernicious; there are
vaccines for Hepatitis A and B, but no such vaccine exists for
Hepatitis C; and
WHEREAS, Hepatitis C is primarily transmitted through

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exposure to infected blood; most cases result from sharing
needles or other paraphernalia used to inject drugs; prior to
1992, when screening for the virus was not common practice,
Hepatitis C was frequently spread through blood transfusions
and organ transplants; there are certain demographics that have
been identified as most at-risk; and
WHEREAS, Anyone can get Hepatitis C, but baby boomers are
five times more likely; more than 75% of adults infected are
baby boomers; and
WHEREAS, According to the CDC, in 2013, there were an
estimated 29,718 cases of acute Hepatitis C virus infections
reported in the United States; an estimated 3.5 million people
in the United States have chronic Hepatitis C; approximately
75-85% of the people who become infected with Hepatitis C
develop a chronic infection; and
WHEREAS, According to the Illinois Department of Public
Health, from 2005 to 2015, there were 80,068 cases of chronic
or resolved Hepatitis C virus infections reported, with 171
other cases reported to be acute forms of the infection; and
WHEREAS, Of those infected in Illinois, more than half were
between the ages of 46 and 60; almost 35% were white, nearly
16% African-American, 1.12% Asian, and 46% were unknown; and

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WHEREAS, During that same period, Cook County reported the
overwhelming majority of cases in Illinois with over 36,000;
the City of Chicago alone accounted for almost 13,000; and
WHEREAS, Numerous private and public organizations such as
the American Liver Foundation, the Illinois State Medical
Society, the Chicago Department of Public Health, the Illinois
Department of Public Health, and the CDC have championed
efforts to raise awareness and to find solutions to the
problems resulting from the Hepatitis C virus in Illinois and
across the country; and
WHEREAS, With this initiative in mind, and as a means to
help various groups work together to find solutions to many of
the problems resulting from the virus, the Hepatitis C Task
Force was created in Illinois in 2013 with bipartisan support
in both chambers of the General Assembly; the Task Force has
been working diligently to develop strategies and to identify
and address the needs of those infected with Hepatitis C to
improve patient quality of life; and
WHEREAS, The commendable efforts of State agencies,
advocacy groups, and concerned citizens to help raise awareness
of Hepatitis C have undoubtedly helped to reduce the spread of
the disease; therefore, be it

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RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
designate May of 2016 as "Hepatitis C Awareness Month" in the
State of Illinois; and be it further
RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
delivered to the Governor of Illinois, all other constitutional
officers, and all members of the Illinois General Assembly in
order to bring further awareness of the prevalence of the
Hepatitis C virus in our State and around the country.