Amended in Assembly May 23, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 141

Introduced by Assembly Member Holden

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(Coauthors: Assembly Members Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Bigelow, Bloom, Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown, Buchanan, Ian Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chávez, Chesbro, Conway, Cooley, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eggman, Fong, Fox, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gorell, Grove, Hagman, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Linder, Lowenthal, Maienschein, Mansoor, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Patterson, John A. Pérez, Quirk, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Stone, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wieckowski, Wilk, Williams, and Yamada)

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May 1, 2014

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 141—Relative to American Stroke Month.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

ACR 141, as amended, Holden. American Stroke Month 2014.

This measure would declare May 2014 to be American Stroke Month in California.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, Stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term
disability and the fourth leading cause of death in California, killing
about 130,000 people nationwide and approximately 13,506
citizens of California each year; and

WHEREAS, Stroke prevalence is projected to increase in the
United States by 24.9 percent between 2010 and 2030, and the
direct medical costs for treating stroke are expected to increase by
238 percent, from $28.3 billion in 2010 to $95.6 billion by 2030;
and

WHEREAS, Nearly 78 million Americans have high blood
pressure, which is a major controllable risk factor for stroke,
including 44 percent of African American adults -- among the
highest prevalence of any population in the world; and

WHEREAS, More than half, 58 percent, of Americans do not
know if they are at risk for stroke; and

WHEREAS, One in three Americans cannot name any of the
signs or symptoms of a stroke; and

WHEREAS, The F.A.S.T. warning signs and symptoms of
stroke include face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty, and
time to call 9-1-1. Beyond F.A.S.T., additional stroke warning
signs and symptoms include sudden numbness or weakness of the
face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body, sudden
confusion, trouble speaking or understanding, sudden trouble
seeing in one or both eyes, sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss
of balance or coordination, and sudden severe headache with no
known cause; and

WHEREAS, The American Stroke Association’s Together to
End Stroke initiative encourages Americans, on May 1, 2014, the
American Stroke Month Day of Action, throughout the month of
May, and year-round, to learn their personal stroke risk, memorize
and share the stroke warning signs, and call 9-1-1 at the first sign
of a stroke; 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 Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature declares May 2014 to be
American Stroke 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 Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
of this resolution to the author and to the Secretary of the Senate
for appropriate distribution.