HR0803 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0803 LRB104 20909 RMO 34639 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus, and current incidence estimates indicate that approximately 1.8 million Americans are infected with hepatitis B virus; and

WHEREAS, Hepatitis B spreads from person to person via contact with infected blood and/or body fluids; and

WHEREAS, Hepatitis B infection can range from an acute, mild, short-term illness to a chronic, serious, long-term infection that can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer; and

WHEREAS, Approximately one in two people who have hepatitis B are unaware of their infection, and 85% of infants and 50% of older children and adults with hepatitis B are asymptomatic; and

WHEREAS, Infants face an increased hepatitis B exposure risk through everyday contact and infected family members, and they are susceptible to developing acute and serious health issues if they are infected at birth or in early childhood; and

WHEREAS, Infants exposed to hepatitis B have a 90% risk of developing chronic hepatitis B, greatly increasing their risk of developing serious liver conditions such as liver cancer or cirrhosis in their lifetimes; and

WHEREAS, Treatment reduces the risk of serious conditions such as liver cancer or cirrhosis, but an estimated up to 75% of people who have hepatitis B in the U.S. and are eligible for treatment are not prescribed treatment, including 40% of those with advanced liver disease; and

WHEREAS, To safeguard infant health, in 1991, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issued its first universal hepatitis B birth dose recommendation, which led to the implementation of the universal hepatitis B vaccination program in 1992 in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Before the universal hepatitis B birth dose recommendation, approximately 18,000 children in the United States were infected each year by hepatitis B virus before their tenth birthdays; and

WHEREAS, From 1990 to 2019, the universal hepatitis B birth dose recommendation led to a 99% decline in reported cases of acute hepatitis B in children and young adults and averted an estimated 90,100 deaths in the United States; and

WHEREAS, The ACIP ended this universal hepatitis B birth dose recommendation in 2025 and now recommends it for infants born to women who tested positive for the hepatitis B virus or whose status is unknown, limiting other infants to a recommendation for shared clinical decision-making; and

WHEREAS, Public health analyses suggest that skipping or delaying the hepatitis B birth dose could result in thousands of preventable hepatitis B infections and hundreds of millions in avoidable healthcare costs in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Amidst these changes, several states have reaffirmed their support for a universal hepatitis B birth dose; and

WHEREAS, These state-level changes are beneficial to the public health landscape and prosperity of those states; and

WHEREAS, Given existing shortfalls in annual hepatitis B screening practices, despite a universal hepatitis B screening recommendation for pregnant women, vaccination remains the safest and most effective way to proactively safeguard public health and prevent the devastating effects of hepatitis B infection; and

WHEREAS, Given existing gaps related to linkage to care for people who have hepatitis B, greater awareness of and access to hepatitis B screening and treatment options is needed to protect the health and well-being of individuals across Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare July 28, 2026 as Hepatitis B Awareness Day in the State of Illinois to continue educating the public on the importance of hepatitis B vaccination, screening, and linkage to care, to initiate meaningful dialogue around vaccination, and to encourage the uptake of hepatitis B vaccines, screening, and treatment; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the Department of Health to direct healthcare providers and public health officials to continue to promote hepatitis B vaccination as a highly effective and safe public health measure, increase public awareness about the importance of all Illinois residents receiving a hepatitis B vaccination, and promote outreach and education efforts concerning hepatitis B vaccination; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the Illinois Department of Health to collaborate with the Illinois Department of Insurance and other applicable state agencies to expand access to and awareness of hepatitis B testing and treatment options, ensure coverage for the hepatitis B vaccine remains in place, and identify, review, and remove any barriers to hepatitis B vaccine, screening, and treatment access; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage the Illinois Department of Health to work with any relevant state and local health agencies, healthcare providers, and patients/community representatives to develop an effective and actionable state hepatitis B strategic plan focused on areas such as immunization, screening, and linkage to care, which will align stakeholders on shared objectives and efforts to facilitate broad screening, vaccine, and treatment availability and access; comparable initiatives in other states, such as the New York Viral Hepatitis Strategic Plan, may be used as guiding models for Illinois plan development; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage the Illinois Department of Health to establish a hepatitis B working group to develop measurable goals on which to center the hepatitis B strategic plan, which may include but are not limited to strengthening immunization infrastructure, improving coverage policies, assessing vaccine administration fees, increasing community demand, improving vaccine confidence, and promoting health equity initiatives to improve vaccine, screening and treatment uptake; the proposed hepatitis B working group is encouraged to provide regular updates to the Illinois Department of Health on its activities, progress toward established goals, and any recommendations; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Illinois Department of Health and the Illinois Department of Insurance.