State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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91_SB1642eng

 
SB1642 Engrossed                              LRB9112686ACdvA

 1        AN ACT in relation to arthritis.

 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 Quality of Life Initiative Act.

 6        Section  5.  Legislative  findings.  The General Assembly
 7    finds and declares that:
 8             (1)  Arthritis is the most  common,  crippling,  and
 9        costly  chronic  disease in the United States; it affects
10        14.5% of the population or more than 40,000,000 Americans
11        of all ages. One in every 7 people and  one  in  every  3
12        families are affected by the disease.
13             (2)  Arthritis  is the nation's number one disabling
14        disease and disables 7,000,000 Americans. It  is  one  of
15        the most common and disabling chronic conditions reported
16        by  women  and far exceeds the reporting of hypertension,
17        heart  disease,  diabetes,  and  breast,  cervical,   and
18        ovarian cancers.
19             (3)  With  an  aggregate  cost  of about 1.1% of the
20        gross national product or  an  estimated  $64,800,000,000
21        annually  in medical expenses, lost wages, and associated
22        economic losses, arthritis and other  rheumatic  diseases
23        have a significant economic impact on the nation.
24             (4)  As  the leading cause of industrial absenteeism
25        after the common cold, arthritis accounts nationally  for
26        500,000,000  days  of  restricted activity and 27,000,000
27        days lost from work each year.
28             (5)  The federal Centers  for  Disease  Control  and
29        Prevention  project  that by the year 2020, the incidence
30        of arthritis will  increase  by  59%  in  the  State  and
31        throughout the country, affecting 20% of the population.
 
SB1642 Engrossed            -2-               LRB9112686ACdvA
 1             (6)  Programs  and  services presently are available
 2        that can  dramatically  impact  on  early  diagnosis  and
 3        treatment  as  well as the quality of life of people with
 4        arthritis.
 5             (7)  A mechanism for broader dissemination of  these
 6        programs  and  services aimed at prevention, information,
 7        and education is needed to help reduce the  physical  and
 8        emotional  impact  of arthritis and its associated health
 9        care and related costs.

10        Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:
11        "Arthritis" means any of  the  more  than  130  types  of
12    arthritis and rheumatic diseases.
13        "Department" means the Department of Public Health.
14        "Director" means the Director of Public Health.
15        "Initiative"   means   the   arthritis  quality  of  life
16    initiative established pursuant to this Act.

17        Section 15. Initiative.
18        (a)  Subject  to  appropriation  for  this  purpose,  the
19    Director  shall  establish  an  arthritis  quality  of   life
20    initiative  in  the Department. The purpose of the initiative
21    is to promote (i)  public  awareness  about  arthritis,  (ii)
22    options  for  prevention,  (iii) the value of early diagnosis
23    and treatment, and (iv) the delivery of programs and services
24    aimed at  prevention  of  complications  and  improvement  of
25    quality  of  life. The Department may accept, for the purpose
26    of establishing the initiative, any special grant  of  money,
27    services,  or  property from the federal government or any of
28    its agencies or from  the  private  sector,  in  addition  to
29    moneys provided by the State.
30        (b)  The initiative shall include the following:
31             (1)  Development   of   a   list   of  providers  of
32        specialized   services   for   arthritis,   including   a
 
SB1642 Engrossed            -3-               LRB9112686ACdvA
 1        cautionary  statement  about  the   current   status   of
 2        arthritis research, prevention, and treatment.
 3             (2)  A  public  information  and  outreach  campaign
 4        including  appropriate  educational  material  to promote
 5        early diagnosis and  treatment  of  arthritis  and  other
 6        rheumatic diseases.

 7        Section  30.  Rules.  The  Department  shall  adopt rules
 8    necessary to implement this Act.

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