Bill Text: NJ SR100 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges President and Congress to use former military facilities to quarantine Ebola patients.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-12-08 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [SR100 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-SR100-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator GERALD CARDINALE
District 39 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Urges President and Congress to use former military facilities to quarantine Ebola patients.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Senate Resolution respectfully urging the President of the United States and Congress to use former military facilities for the quarantine and isolation of individuals exposed to Ebola and Ebola patients.
Whereas, Ebola virus disease, also know as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe illness, with a substantial fatality rate; and
Whereas, Ebola is transmitted to humans from wild animals, and then spreads between infected symptomatic humans to other humans by direct contact with bodily fluids; and
Whereas, There is no known cure for Ebola and only experimental vaccines exist, so the most successful treatment of the disease is medical intervention at the onset of symptoms; and
Whereas, The incubation period, the time from when a person is infected with the virus to when the person exhibits symptoms, is from two to 21 days, and the first symptoms, fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat, may resemble other illnesses; and
Whereas, Advanced symptoms of Ebola include vomiting, diarrhea, impaired kidney and liver function, and internal and external bleeding; and
Whereas, The most recent outbreak of Ebola is responsible for more deaths than all of the other Ebola outbreaks combined; and
Whereas, Without proper precautions, Ebola can spread from one person to another, and may even spread from individuals who have succumbed to the disease to the living, making the virus difficult to contain; and
Whereas, Quarantine of exposed individuals, including individuals not exhibiting any symptoms of Ebola, for the maximum incubation period, and isolation of infected individuals, is critical to preventing an outbreak of Ebola; and
Whereas, The State has recognized the important role that quarantine plays in the containment of Ebola, as the Governor of the State of New Jersey has issued a quarantine protocol for individuals exposed to the disease; and
Whereas, Options for quarantine and isolation for the containment and treatment of Ebola may be limited, particularly in areas where there are few or no hospitals that are prepared for the treatment of the disease, and former military facilities may provide a secure, practical environment for quarantine and isolation; and
Whereas, It is altogether fitting and appropriate, and in the public's interest, for this House to respectfully urge the President of the United States and Congress to utilize former military facilities for the quarantine and isolation of those exposed to and infected with Ebola; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House respectfully urges the President of the United States and Congress to utilize former military facilities for the quarantine of individuals exposed to Ebola and the treatment of individuals infected with Ebola.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the President of the United States, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the presiding officer of each house of Congress, and each elected member of Congress from the State of New Jersey.
STATEMENT
This Senate resolution respectfully urges the President of the United States and Congress to use former military facilities for the quarantine of individuals exposed to the Ebola virus, and for the isolation and treatment of individuals infected with the virus.
Ebola virus disease is a severe illness, often resulting in fatality for those infected, that has ravaged West Africa in the most recent outbreak of the disease. Initial symptoms of the virus include, fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat, and advanced symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, impaired kidney and liver function and internal and external bleeding, and unfortunately, the illness often results in death. More than 4,500 individuals have died from the virus in West Africa. This most recent outbreak is responsible for more deaths than all other Ebola outbreaks combined.
Although Americans generally remain at very low risk for exposure to Ebola, the severity of the illness and the substantial fatality rate have caused concerns throughout the world. There is no known cure for Ebola, nor is there any licensed vaccine.
While Ebola may only be transmitted from an infected, symptomatic individual to another individual through direct contact with bodily fluids, proper precautions are critical to the containment of this disease. As areas with Ebola outbreaks may have limited hospitals or other facilities equipped for the treatment of Ebola, the use of former military facilities may provide a secure and practical environment for the treatment and containment of Ebola.
It is hoped that the present outbreak and any future outbreak of Ebola is contained and that those infected are treated as effectively as possible.
