Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 63

Introduced by Senator Bates

(Coauthors: Senators Anderson, Block, Fuller, Hall, Hertzberg, Hill, Huff, Leyva, Liu, Nguyen, Pavley, and Vidak)

May 14, 2015

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 63—Relative to National Stroke Awareness Month.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 63, as introduced, Bates. National Stroke Awareness Month.

This measure would declare the month of May 2015 as National Stroke Awareness Month in California.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, Stroke is the leading cause of serious long-term
disability and the fourth leading cause of death in California, killing
about 130,000 people nationwide and approximately 13,500
citizens of California each year; and

WHEREAS, Strokes cost the nation $34 billion annually,
including the cost of health care services, medications, and lost
productivity; and

WHEREAS, Nearly 80 million Americans have high blood
pressure, which is a major controllable risk factor for stroke,
including 45 percent of black adults-among the highest prevalence
of any population in the world; and

WHEREAS, Nearly 60 percent of Americans do not know if
they are at risk for a stroke, and one in three Americans cannot
name any of the signs or symptoms of a stroke; and

WHEREAS, The warning signs and symptoms of stroke include
numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one
side of the body; confusion; trouble speaking or difficulty
understanding; trouble seeing in one or both eyes; trouble walking;
dizziness; loss of balance and coordination; and severe headache
with no known cause; and

WHEREAS, The American Heart Association urges people to
lower their risk of heart disease and stroke by focusing on “Life’s
Simple 7” key health factors and behaviors: managing blood
pressure, controlling cholesterol, reducing blood sugar, getting
active, eating better, losing weight, and stopping smoking; and

WHEREAS, New and effective treatments have been developed
to treat and minimize the severity and damaging effect of strokes,
but much more research is needed; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature declares the month of
May 2015 as National Stroke Awareness Month in California; and
be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature urges all Californians to
familiarize themselves with the risk factors associated with stroke,
to recognize the warning signs and symptoms of stroke, and, at
the first signs of a stroke, to dial 9-1-1 immediately in order to
begin to reduce the devastating effects of stroke on our population;
and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.