Public Act 93-0129

HB0687 Enrolled                      LRB093 05506 MKM 05597 b

    AN ACT in relation to health.

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

    Section  5.  The  Department  of Public Health Powers and
Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code  of  Illinois  is
amended  by  adding Sections 2310-376, 2310-377, and 2310-378
as follows:

    (20 ILCS 2310/2310-376 new)
    Sec. 2310-376.  Hepatitis C education and outreach.
    (a)  The Illinois General Assembly finds and declares the
following:
         (1)  The  World  Health  Organization  characterizes
    Hepatitis C as a disease of primary concern to humanity.
         (2)  Hepatitis C is considered a silent  killer;  no
    recognizable  signs  or symptoms occur until severe liver
    damage has occurred.
         (3)  Studies  indicate   that   nearly   4   million
    Americans (1.8 percent of the population) carry the virus
    HCV that causes the disease.
         (4)  30,000  acute new infections occur each year in
    the  United  States,  and  only  25  to  30  percent  are
    diagnosed.
         (5)  8,000 to 10,000 Americans die from the  disease
    each year.
         (6)  200,000  Illinois residents may be carriers and
    could develop the  debilitating  and  potentially  deadly
    liver disease.
         (7)  Inmates   of  correctional  facilities  have  a
    higher incidence of Hepatitis C and, upon their  release,
    present   a   significant  health  risk  to  the  general
    population.
    (b)  Subject  to  appropriation,  the  Department   shall
conduct  an  education  and outreach campaign, in addition to
its overall effort to prevent infectious disease in Illinois,
in order to raise awareness about and promote  prevention  of
Hepatitis C.

    (20 ILCS 2310/2310-377 new)
    Sec. 2310-377.  Lupus education and outreach.
    (a)  The Illinois General Assembly finds and declares the
following:
         (1)  Lupus   is  a  chronic,  incurable  auto-immune
    disease of unknown origin that mainly  affects  women  of
    childbearing  age,  is  difficult to diagnose, and causes
    severe, potentially life-threatening organ damage.
         (2)  The Lupus Foundation of America estimates  that
    1.4 million people in the U.S. have a form of lupus.
         (3)  Lupus  causes  the  immune system to attack the
    body's healthy cells and tissues producing  skin  damage,
    rheumatoid  arthritis,  life-threatening  inflammation of
    multiple major organs, and a potentially fatal failure of
    the renal, circulatory, or central nervous system.
         (4)  Symptoms include joint pain, rash, unusual loss
    of hair, unexplained fever, low blood counts, sensitivity
    to the sun, and fingers that turn  pale  or  purple  when
    exposed to cold.
         (5)  According to the Lupus Foundation of America, a
    survey of its members revealed that more than half of all
    people  with  lupus  suffered  4  or  more years and were
    examined by 3 or more doctors before obtaining a  correct
    diagnosis.
         (6)  According to the Center for Disease Control and
    Prevention,  the  number  of lupus-related deaths between
    1979 and 1988 increased  dramatically;  African  American
    women,  ages  45-64,  experienced  a  70%  increase,  the
    largest  increase  among  all  groups  in  the  20  years
    studied.
    (b)  Subject   to  appropriation,  the  Department  shall
conduct an education and outreach campaign in order to  raise
awareness  about  the  symptoms  and  treatment  of  lupus, a
potentially life-threatening disease.

    (20 ILCS 2310/2310-378 new)
    Sec. 2310-378.  Wilson's disease.
    (a)  The Illinois General Assembly finds and declares the
following:
         (1)  Wilson's disease is an  inherited  disorder  in
    which  excessive amounts of copper accumulate in the body
    and  can  cause  liver  disease   and   neurological   or
    psychiatric disorders; and
         (2)  Successful treatment is available for sufferers
    of  Wilson's  disease  but, without proper treatment, the
    disease is generally fatal by the age of 30.
    (b)  Subject to appropriation, the Department shall:  (i)
conduct  a public health information campaign for physicians,
hospitals, health facilities, public health departments,  and
the  general public on Wilson's disease, methods of care, and
treatment modalities available;  (ii)  identify  and  catalog
Wilson's disease resources in this State for distribution and
referral   purposes;   and  (iii)  coordinate  services  with
established programs, including State, federal, and voluntary
groups.