Bill Text: NJ SJR31 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Designates October 23 of each year as "Sudden, Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) Awareness Day" in New Jersey.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-30 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [SJR31 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-SJR31-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH F. VITALE
District 19 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Designates October 23 of each year as "Sudden, Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) Awareness Day" in New Jersey.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Joint Resolution designating October 23 of each year as "Sudden, Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) Awareness Day" in New Jersey.
Whereas, Sudden, unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is a rare condition that kills nearly one in every thousand individuals with epilepsy per year; individuals affected by this condition will die suddenly and without apparent cause; and
Whereas, Instances of SUDEP were not widely known until 1992, when the first major news article on the condition was published; and
Whereas, The causes of SUDEP are still not fully understood; while data on SUDEP is available from a variety of sources, there have been no large-scale studies conducted in the United States on the condition; and
Whereas, Only a limited number of organizations focus exclusively on the research and study of SUDEP; and
Whereas, SUDEP can occur with anyone who has epilepsy, but the individuals at the highest risk for SUDEP are those with frequent, generalized tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizures; while there are methods for reducing the risk of SUDEP, these are unique to the individual and must be discussed with a physician; and
Whereas, A joint report from the American Epilepsy Society and the Epilepsy Foundation states that, among individuals with poorly controlled seizures, the risk increases to one death in every hundred people with epilepsy in a year; and
Whereas, While certain people are at higher risk for SUDEP than others, not all risk factors are conclusively known and agreed upon; and
Whereas, Due to a lack of awareness, the diagnosis of SUDEP is low and often does not appear on a death certificate, leading to incomplete statistics on the condition; and
Whereas, It is important to understand the nature and causes of SUDEP, seek to mitigate risk factors and prevent SUDEP, and increase awareness of SUDEP in this State; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. October 23 of each year is designated as "Sudden, Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) Awareness Day" in New Jersey to raise public awareness of SUDEP, and to promote further research into the condition and its prevention.
2. The Governor is respectfully requested to annually issue a proclamation calling upon public officials and the citizens of this State to observe "Sudden, Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) Awareness Day" with appropriate activities and programs.
3. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This joint resolution designates October 23 of each year as "Sudden, unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) Awareness Day" in New Jersey, to raise public awareness of SUDEP, and to promote further research into the condition and its prevention. SUDEP is a rare condition that kills nearly one in every thousand individuals with epilepsy each year. SUDEP can occur in anyone who has epilepsy, and those affected by the condition die suddenly and without apparent cause.
