[Filed with Secretary of State June 20, 2013.]
SCR 37, Beall. Arthritis Awareness Month.
This measure would proclaim the month of May 2013 as Arthritis Awareness Month.
WHEREAS, Arthritis includes more than 100 rheumatic diseases and conditions that affect joints, the tissues that surround joints, and other connective tissue; and
WHEREAS, Arthritis causes pain and loss of movement, and can limit everyday activities such as walking and dressing; and
WHEREAS, An estimated 50 million adults, or approximately one in five adults, in the United States are living with some form of doctor-diagnosed arthritis or a related disease or condition; and
WHEREAS, An estimated 300,000 children under 18 years of age, or approximately one in 250 children, in the United States have some form of arthritis or rheumatic condition; and
WHEREAS, Arthritis is a chronic health problem and the nation’s leading cause of physical disability among Americans over 15 years of age; and
WHEREAS, Arthritis costs the United States economy more than $128 billion each year in lost wages and health care costs; and
WHEREAS, Arthritis results in approximately 992,100 hospitalizations and 44 million outpatient visits each year; and
WHEREAS, In California there are more than 5.3 million people living with arthritis, including 38,000 children; and
WHEREAS, An estimated 67 million adults 18 years of age and older, representing 25 percent of the population of the United States, will have doctor-diagnosed arthritis by the year 2030; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature understands the extent of, and sympathizes with, the severity of the impact of arthritis on Californians; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature recognizes the month of May 2013 as Arthritis Awareness Month and appreciates the efforts of the California Arthritis Foundation Council to seek access to care for all Californians; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
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