SJ0070 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0070 LRB093 21536 RAS 48732 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, A disproportionate burden of disease, disability, and death exists among women and people of color in the State; and

WHEREAS, Infant mortality for American Indians and African-Americans is more than double the rate for non-Hispanic whites; and

WHEREAS, African-Americans are more than three times as likely, American Indians and Alaska Natives are more than twice as likely, and Hispanics are 1.5 times as likely as non-Hispanic whites to die from diabetes ; and

WHEREAS, The foundations for personal health, academic success, and professional achievement begin in early childhood; and

WHEREAS, Comprehensive early childhood development programs foster healthy physical, cognitive, and social development; and

WHEREAS, Long-term benefits include improved high school graduation rates, decreases in teen pregnancy, decreased delinquency, and higher rates of employment; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that a task force on health disparities be created to identify opportunities for improving health care status and addressing health disparities in communities of color; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the task force consist of 8 members from committees with jurisdiction over health and committees with jurisdiction over education: 2 members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate; 2 members of the Senate appointed by the Senate Minority Leader; and 2 members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and 2 members of the House of Representatives appointed by the House Minority Leader; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the task force shall: (1) Consider the impact of early childhood development programs on reducing health disparities in communities of color, including a review of information about the sources of critical childhood interventions that impact health disparities such as family resources, child care, education, community organizations, social determinants, and others; (2) Consider opportunities to improve the health status of people of color by addressing barriers to culturally and linguistically appropriate health care and health education materials and practices, including a review of opportunities to increase the number of minority health providers in the State through development of career ladder, expanded recruiting, education, and retention programs, so that the entire health work force more closely mirrors the people that it serves; (3) Address ways to enumerate the racial and ethnic composition of the health work force and health career training, education, and career ladder programs; (4) Evaluate the impact of reductions in health care expenditures on communities of color; (5) Request input from the African-American Family Commission prior to submitting final review and recommendations to the General Assembly; and (6) Complete its review and submit its recommendations to the General Assembly by December 31, 2005; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the task force is dissolved on January 1, 2006.