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Public Act 91-0750
SB1642 Enrolled LRB9112686ACdvA
AN ACT in relation to arthritis.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
Arthritis Quality of Life Initiative Act.
Section 5. Legislative findings. The General Assembly
finds and declares that:
(1) Arthritis is the most common, crippling, and
costly chronic disease in the United States; it affects
14.5% of the population or more than 40,000,000 Americans
of all ages. One in every 7 people and one in every 3
families are affected by the disease.
(2) Arthritis is the nation's number one disabling
disease and disables 7,000,000 Americans. It is one of
the most common and disabling chronic conditions reported
by women and far exceeds the reporting of hypertension,
heart disease, diabetes, and breast, cervical, and
ovarian cancers.
(3) With an aggregate cost of about 1.1% of the
gross national product or an estimated $64,800,000,000
annually in medical expenses, lost wages, and associated
economic losses, arthritis and other rheumatic diseases
have a significant economic impact on the nation.
(4) As the leading cause of industrial absenteeism
after the common cold, arthritis accounts nationally for
500,000,000 days of restricted activity and 27,000,000
days lost from work each year.
(5) The federal Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention project that by the year 2020, the incidence
of arthritis will increase by 59% in the State and
throughout the country, affecting 20% of the population.
(6) Programs and services presently are available
that can dramatically impact on early diagnosis and
treatment as well as the quality of life of people with
arthritis.
(7) A mechanism for broader dissemination of these
programs and services aimed at prevention, information,
and education is needed to help reduce the physical and
emotional impact of arthritis and its associated health
care and related costs.
Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:
"Arthritis" means any of the more than 130 types of
arthritis and rheumatic diseases.
"Department" means the Department of Public Health.
"Director" means the Director of Public Health.
"Initiative" means the arthritis quality of life
initiative established pursuant to this Act.
Section 15. Initiative.
(a) Subject to appropriation for this purpose, the
Director shall establish an arthritis quality of life
initiative in the Department. The purpose of the initiative
is to promote (i) public awareness about arthritis, (ii)
options for prevention, (iii) the value of early diagnosis
and treatment, and (iv) the delivery of programs and services
aimed at prevention of complications and improvement of
quality of life. The Department may accept, for the purpose
of establishing the initiative, any special grant of money,
services, or property from the federal government or any of
its agencies or from the private sector, in addition to
moneys provided by the State.
(b) The initiative shall include the following:
(1) Development of a list of providers of
specialized services for arthritis, including a
cautionary statement about the current status of
arthritis research, prevention, and treatment.
(2) A public information and outreach campaign
including appropriate educational material to promote
early diagnosis and treatment of arthritis and other
rheumatic diseases.
Section 30. Rules. The Department shall adopt rules
necessary to implement this Act.
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