Amended in Assembly May 13, 2013

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 46

Introduced by Assembly Member Achadjian

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(Coauthors: Assembly Members Alejo, Atkins, Bigelow, Bloom, Blumenfield, Bocanegra, Bonta, Bradford, Brown, Buchanan, Ian Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chávez, Chesbro, Conway, Cooley, Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Eggman, Fong, Fox, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gordon, Gorell, Gray, Grove, Hagman, Hall, Roger Hernández, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Linder, Logue, Maienschein, Mansoor, Medina, Melendez, Morrell, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Patterson, Perea, John A. Pérez, V. Manuel Pérez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Salas, Skinner, Stone, Ting, Torres, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams, and Yamada)

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(Principal coauthor: Senator Monning)

April 15, 2013

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 46—Relative to Viral Hepatitis Awareness Day.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

ACR 46, as amended, Achadjian. Viral Hepatitis Awareness Day.

This measure would proclaim May 19, 2013, as Viral Hepatitis Awareness Day in California.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, Liver cancer and liver disease related to hepatitis
B and C are two of the leading killers in California; and

WHEREAS, Hepatitis C is the most prevalent bloodborne
disease in the United States and in California; and

WHEREAS, Early detection of hepatitis B or C infection
promotes effective management or treatment of these infections,
preventing disability, loss of productivity and income, and allowing
people to live full, satisfying, and productive lives; and

WHEREAS, Undetected and untreated hepatitis B or C infection
can lead to disability or death; and

WHEREAS, The majority of the estimated 500,000 Californians
with chronic hepatitis C infection do not know they are infected,
and are therefore at high risk of severe liver disease, liver cancer,
or liver failure; and

WHEREAS, The majority of the estimated 125,000 California
residents with hepatitis B infection do not know they are infected,
and are therefore at high risk of severe liver disease, liver cancer,
or liver failure; and

WHEREAS, Untreated hepatitis B and C are the leading causes
of liver failure requiring liver transplant; and

WHEREAS, The federal Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention released updated guidelines calling for everyone born
between 1945 and 1965 to receive a one-time hepatitis C test,
which would save over 100,000 lives; and

WHEREAS, There is a vaccine for the prevention of hepatitis
B, the first proven, low-cost vaccination against any form of cancer
made available to Americans; and

WHEREAS, The cost of hospitalizations for liver cancer and
liver disease reached $2 billion in California in 2007, mostly paid
for by tax-supported public health insurers; and

WHEREAS, Hepatitis awareness education campaigns and
accessible screening for hepatitis B and C, along with appropriate
treatment, can reduce the damage from hepatitis B and C viral
infection to individuals and to our community, financially, as well
as physically and emotionally; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature of the State of California
hereby proclaims May 19, 2013, as Viral Hepatitis Awareness
Day; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.

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CORRECTIONS:

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