BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  SCR 81
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   March 28, 2014

                             ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON RULES
                              Richard S. Gordon, Chair
                    SCR 81 (Monning) - As Amended:  March 24, 2014

           SENATE VOTE  :   32-0
           
          SUBJECT  :   California Essential Tremor Awareness Month.

           SUMMARY  :   Designates March 2014 as California Essential Tremor  
          Awareness Month to generate public awareness about the most  
          common neurological condition that affects the quality of life  
          for an estimated 10 million Americans.  Specifically,  this  
          resolution  makes the following legislative findings:

          1)Essential tremor causes uncontrollable muscle movements and  
            shaking of the hands, legs, head, and voice of those affected;  
            and it is believed to affect approximately 5 percent of people  
            between 40 and 60 years of age and an estimated 9 percent of  
            people over the age of 60 experience symptoms of essential  
            tremor.

          2)Essential tremor is the most common form of neurological  
            movement disorders and is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson's  
            disease, dystonia, or a condition of aging, but the National  
            Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke estimates that  
            the disorder is eight times more common than Parkinson's  
            disease.

          3)While essential tremor is not life-threatening; Californians  
            suffering from essential tremor face great hardships in  
            performing activities essential to our daily lives such as  
            eating, drinking, grooming, writing, and communicating with  
            others which can be a major drain on a patient's quality of  
            life and may often lead to feelings of embarrassment and  
            reoccurring depression.

          4)There is no cure for essential tremor; and though there are  
            some effective drug therapies there is yet to be an effective  
            drug therapy developed to exclusively treat this disorder.  
            Increasing public awareness of essential tremor is critical to  
            generate funding for research needed to better understand the  
            condition and develop more effective therapies and  
            medications.








                                                                  SCR 81
                                                                  Page  2


           FISCAL EFFECT  :   None

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :

           Support 
           
          None on file
           
            Opposition 
           
          None on file

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Nicole Willis / RLS. / (916) 319-2800