BILL ANALYSIS Ó HR 50 Page 1 Date of Hearing: May 19, 2016 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON RULES Richard S. Gordon, Chair HR 50 (Medina) - As Introduced April 27, 2016 SUBJECT: Lupus Awareness Month SUMMARY: Observes the month of May 2016 as Lupus Awareness Month. Specifically, this resolution makes the following legislative findings: 1)Lupus is a disease that affects more people than AIDS, cerebral palsy, sickle cell anemia, and multiple sclerosis combined. One out of every 185 Americans has lupus. Lupus is hard to diagnose, mimics other diseases, and its sufferers usually do not get treatment until they have suffered with the symptoms for many years. 2)Understanding lupus will help us better understand infections in general, allergies, cancer, and even AIDS. Medical students are often told if they know lupus then they know medicine; lupus is the paradigm of autoimmunity, as lupus can affect every part of the body. 3)Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the body, including internal organs, the skin, and joints. The disease also has many different symptoms and, because of that, affects each person differently. Because of its unpredictable HR 50 Page 2 nature, people with lupus often have many questions about the disease. 4)Educating the public and the health care community throughout the state about this devastating disease is of paramount importance and is in every respect in the public interest and to the benefit of all residents of the State of California. FISCAL EFFECT: None REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION: Support None on file Opposition None on file Analysis Prepared by:Nicole Willis / RLS. / (916) 319-2800