093_HB0479eng

 
HB0479 Engrossed                     LRB093 05226 DRJ 05286 b

 1        AN ACT in relation to public health.

 2        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:

 4        Section  1.  Short  title.  This  Act may be cited as the
 5    Arthritis Prevention and Control Act.

 6        Section 5. Findings and purposes.
 7        (a)  Findings.   The   legislature   hereby   finds   the
 8    following:
 9             (1)  Arthritis encompasses more  than  100  diseases
10        and   conditions  that  affect  joints,  the  surrounding
11        tissues, and other connective tissues.
12             (2)  One of the most common family  of  diseases  in
13        the  United States, arthritis affects nearly one of every
14        6 Americans  and  will  impact  an  estimated  60,000,000
15        people (almost 20% of the population) by the year 2020.
16             (3)  Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in
17        the  United  States,  limiting  daily activities for more
18        than 7,000,000 citizens.
19             (4)  Although prevailing myths inaccurately  portray
20        arthritis  as  an  old  person's  disease, arthritis is a
21        multi-generational disease that has  become  one  of  the
22        country's most pressing public health problems.
23             (5)  This   disease  has  a  significant  impact  on
24        quality  of  life  not  only  for  the   individual   who
25        experiences    its   painful   symptoms   and   resulting
26        disability, but also for family members and caregivers.
27             (6)  Compounding  this  picture  are  the   enormous
28        economic   and  social  costs  associated  with  treating
29        arthritis and its complications, which are  estimated  at
30        almost $80,000,000,000 annually.
31             (7)  Currently,   the  challenge  exists  to  ensure
 
HB0479 Engrossed            -2-      LRB093 05226 DRJ 05286 b
 1        delivery   of   effective,   but   often   underutilized,
 2        interventions that are necessary  in  the  prevention  or
 3        reduction of arthritis-related pain and disability.
 4             (8)  Although  there  exists  a  large  quantity  of
 5        public  information  and  programs  about  arthritis,  it
 6        remains  inadequately  disseminated  and  insufficient in
 7        addressing the needs of specific diverse populations  and
 8        other underserved groups.
 9             (9)  The   Arthritis  Foundation,  the  Centers  for
10        Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Association
11        of State and Territorial Health Officials  have  led  the
12        development  of  a  public  health strategy, the National
13        Arthritis Action Plan, to respond to this challenge.
14             (10)  Educating the public and health care community
15        throughout the State about this devastating disease is of
16        paramount importance and  is  in  every  respect  in  the
17        public  interest  and  to the benefit of all residents of
18        this State.
19        (b)  Purposes. The purposes of this Act are:
20             (1)  To create and foster a statewide  program  that
21        promotes  public  awareness and increases knowledge about
22        the  causes  of  arthritis,  the  importance   of   early
23        diagnosis    and    appropriate   management,   effective
24        prevention   strategies,   and   pain   prevention    and
25        management.
26             (2)  To  develop knowledge and enhance understanding
27        of arthritis by disseminating educational  materials  and
28        information  on  research results, services provided, and
29        strategies for prevention and control to patients, health
30        professionals, and the public.
31             (3)  To  establish  a  solid  scientific   base   of
32        knowledge  on  the  prevention  of  arthritis and related
33        disability  through   surveillance,   epidemiology,   and
34        prevention research.
 
HB0479 Engrossed            -3-      LRB093 05226 DRJ 05286 b
 1             (4)  To  utilize  educational and training resources
 2        and services developed by organizations with  appropriate
 3        expertise and knowledge of arthritis and to use available
 4        technical assistance.
 5             (5)  To  evaluate the need for improving the quality
 6        and accessibility of existing  community-based  arthritis
 7        services.
 8             (6)  To  heighten  awareness  about  the prevention,
 9        detection, and treatment of  arthritis  among  State  and
10        local   health   and  human  services  officials,  health
11        professionals and providers, and policy makers.
12             (7)  To implement and  coordinate  State  and  local
13        programs  and services to reduce the public health burden
14        of arthritis.
15             (8)  To adequately fund these programs  on  a  State
16        level.
17             (9)  To provide lasting improvements in the delivery
18        of  health  care for individuals with arthritis and their
19        families, thus improving their quality of life while also
20        containing health care costs.

21        Section 10.  Arthritis Prevention and Control Program.
22        (a)  The Department of  Public  Health  shall  establish,
23    promote,  and  maintain  an  Arthritis Prevention and Control
24    Program to raise public  awareness,  educate  consumers,  and
25    educate  and  train health professionals, teachers, and human
26    services providers, and for other purposes. The program shall
27    include the following components:
28             (1)  Needs  assessment.  The  Department  of  Public
29        Health shall conduct a needs assessment to  identify  the
30        following:
31                  (A)  Epidemiological  and  other  public health
32             research being conducted within the State.
33                  (B)  Available   technical    assistance    and
 
HB0479 Engrossed            -4-      LRB093 05226 DRJ 05286 b
 1             educational  materials  and  programs nationwide and
 2             within the State.
 3                  (C)  The  level  of  public  and   professional
 4             arthritis awareness.
 5                  (D)  The  needs  of  people  with arthritis and
 6             their families and caregivers.
 7                  (E)  Educational and support service  needs  of
 8             health care providers, including physicians, nurses,
 9             managed  care  organizations,  and other health care
10             providers.
11                  (F)  The services available to  a  person  with
12             arthritis.
13                  (G)  The   existence  of  arthritis  treatment,
14             self-management,  physical   activity,   and   other
15             education programs.
16                  (H)  The existence of rehabilitation services.
17             (2)  Advisory  Council  on Arthritis. The Department
18        of  Public  Health  shall  establish  and  coordinate  an
19        Advisory Council on Arthritis to provide non-governmental
20        input regarding  the  Arthritis  Prevention  and  Control
21        Program. Membership of the Council must include, but need
22        not  be limited to, persons with arthritis, public health
23        educators, medical experts  on  arthritis,  providers  of
24        arthritis  health  care,  persons knowledgeable in health
25        promotion and education, and representatives of  national
26        arthritis organizations and their local chapters.
27             (3)  Public  awareness.  The  Department  of  Public
28        Health  shall  use,  but  is  not  limited to, strategies
29        consistent with the National Arthritis  Action  Plan  and
30        existing State planning efforts to raise public awareness
31        and  knowledge  on  the  causes  and nature of arthritis,
32        personal risk factors, the value of prevention and  early
33        detection, ways to minimize preventable pain, and options
34        for diagnosing and treating the disease.
 
HB0479 Engrossed            -5-      LRB093 05226 DRJ 05286 b
 1             (4)  Technical  assistance. The Department of Public
 2        Health  may  replicate  and  use   successful   arthritis
 3        programs  and  enter  into  contracts  with  or  purchase
 4        materials  or  services  from  entities  with appropriate
 5        expertise for services and materials that  are  necessary
 6        to  carry  out  the goals of the Arthritis Prevention and
 7        Control Program. The Department may enter into agreements
 8        with one or more national organizations with expertise in
 9        arthritis to implement parts of the Arthritis  Prevention
10        and Control Program.
11        (b)  The  Department of Public Health shall do all of the
12    following:
13             (1)  Provide  sufficient  staff  to  implement   the
14        Arthritis Prevention and Control Program.
15             (2)  Provide  appropriate  training for staff of the
16        Arthritis Prevention and Control Program.
17             (3)  Identify the appropriate organizations to carry
18        out the program.
19             (4)  Base the program on the most current scientific
20        information and findings.
21             (5)  Work to increase  and  improve  community-based
22        services  available  to  people  with arthritis and their
23        family members.
24             (6)  Work  with   governmental   offices,   national
25        voluntary  health organizations and their local chapters,
26        community and business leaders, community  organizations,
27        and   health   care   and  human  services  providers  to
28        coordinate efforts and maximize State  resources  in  the
29        areas   of   prevention,   education,   detection,   pain
30        management, and treatment of arthritis.
31             (7)  Identify    and,    when    appropriate,    use
32        evidence-based  arthritis  programs  and  obtain  related
33        materials    and   services   from   organizations   with
34        appropriate expertise and knowledge of arthritis.
 
HB0479 Engrossed            -6-      LRB093 05226 DRJ 05286 b
 1        Section 15.  Funding. The Department of Public Health may
 2    accept  grants,  services,  and  property  from  the  federal
 3    government, foundations, organizations, medical schools,  and
 4    other  entities  that  may  be  available for the purposes of
 5    fulfilling the obligations of the  Arthritis  Prevention  and
 6    Control Program.

 7        Section  20.  Waivers.  The  Department  of Public Health
 8    shall seek all waivers of federal law  and  regulations  that
 9    may   be   necessary  to  maximize  funds  from  the  federal
10    government to implement the Arthritis Prevention and  Control
11    Program.