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Public Act 094-0406
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| HB0595 Enrolled |
LRB094 07033 RSP 37173 b |
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AN ACT in relation to educational materials on hepatitis C |
for veterans.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Department of Public Health Powers and |
Duties Law of the
Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is |
amended by changing Section 2310-376 as follows:
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(20 ILCS 2310/2310-376)
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Sec. 2310-376. Hepatitis C education and outreach.
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(a) The Illinois General Assembly finds and declares the |
following:
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(1) The World Health Organization characterizes |
Hepatitis C as a disease
of
primary concern to humanity.
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(2) Hepatitis C is considered a silent killer; no |
recognizable signs or
symptoms occur until severe liver |
damage has occurred.
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(3) Studies indicate that nearly 4 million Americans |
(1.8 percent of the
population) carry the virus HCV that |
causes the disease.
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(4) 30,000 acute new infections occur each year in the |
United States,
and
only 25 to 30 percent are diagnosed.
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(5) 8,000 to 10,000 Americans die from the disease each |
year.
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(6) 200,000 Illinois residents may be carriers and |
could develop the
debilitating and potentially deadly |
liver disease.
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(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.
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(8) Illinois members of the armed services are subject |
to an increased risk of contracting Hepatitis due to their |
possible receipt of contaminated blood during a |
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transfusion occurring for the treatment of wounds and due |
to their service in areas of the World where the disease is |
more prevalent and healthcare is less capable of detecting |
and treating the disease. Many of these service members are |
unaware of the danger of Hepatitis and their increased risk |
of contracting the disease.
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(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
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raise awareness about and promote prevention of Hepatitis C.
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(c) Subject to appropriation, in addition to the education |
and outreach campaign provided in subsection (b), the |
Department shall develop and make available to physicians, |
other health care providers, members of the armed services, and |
other persons subject to an increased risk of contracting |
Hepatitis, educational materials, in written and electronic |
forms, on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of the |
disease. These materials shall include the recommendations of |
the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and any |
other persons or entities determined by the Department to have |
particular expertise on Hepatitis, including the American |
Liver Foundation. These materials shall be written in terms |
that are understandable by members of the general public.
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(d) The Department shall establish an Advisory Council on |
Hepatitis to develop a Hepatitis prevention plan. The |
Department shall specify the membership, members' terms, |
provisions for removal of members, chairmen, and purpose of the |
Advisory Council. The Advisory Council shall consist of one |
representative from each of the following State agencies or |
offices, appointed by the head of each agency or office:
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(1) The Department of Public Health.
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(2) The Department of Public Aid.
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(3) The Department of Corrections.
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(4) The Department of Veterans' Affairs.
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(5) The Department on Aging.
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(6) The Department of Human Services.
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(7) The Department of State Police.
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(8) The office of the State Fire Marshal.
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The Director shall appoint representatives of |
organizations and advocates in the State of Illinois, |
including, but not limited to, the American Liver Foundation. |
The Director shall also appoint interested members of the |
public, including consumers and providers of health services |
and representatives of local public health agencies, to provide |
recommendations and information to the members of the Advisory |
Council. Members of the Advisory Council shall serve on a |
voluntary, unpaid basis and are not entitled to reimbursement |
for mileage or other costs they incur in connection with |
performing their duties.
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(Source: P.A. 93-129, eff. 1-1-04.)
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon |
becoming law.
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