BILL ANALYSIS Ó ACR 64 Page 1 Date of Hearing: May 14, 2015 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON RULES Richard Gordon, Chair ACR 64 (Santiago) - As Introduced May 5, 2015 SUBJECT: Asthma Awareness Month. SUMMARY: Designates the month of May 2015 as Asthma Awareness Month in order to increase awareness and understanding about asthma and educate those with the disease on the treatments available and the methods of preventing attacks. Specifically, this resolution makes the following legislative findings: 1)Approximately five million Californians have been diagnosed with asthma at some point in their lives, and almost three million currently have asthma. 2)Asthma is responsible for approximately 400 deaths, 35,000 hospital discharges, and 180,000 emergency department visits annually in California. 3)Lifetime and current asthma prevalence is highest among children 5 to 17 years of age and about 30 percent higher than among adults; and asthma prevalence is higher among African Americans, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Puerto Ricans, European Hispanics, Pacific Islanders, and Filipinos. ACR 64 Page 2 4)Total charges for asthma hospitalizations in 2010 were over $1 billion, and intervention to prevent repeat hospitalizations could have saved $156 million in these medical costs. 5)It is important that every person with asthma be diagnosed, receive appropriate treatment, learn how to manage his or her asthma, and reduce exposure to environmental factors that make his or her asthma worse. FISCAL EFFECT: None REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION: Support Asthma Coalition of Los Angeles County Breathe California of Los Angeles County Opposition None on file ACR 64 Page 3 Analysis Prepared by:Nicole Willis / RLS. / (916) 319-2800