PRINTER'S NO. 3930
No. 758 Session of 2004
INTRODUCED BY O'BRIEN, ADOLPH, ALLEN, BAKER, BALDWIN, BEBKO-
JONES, BELFANTI, BENNINGHOFF, BIANCUCCI, BISHOP, BOYD,
CAPPELLI, CAUSER, CLYMER, CORRIGAN, COY, CRAHALLA, CRUZ,
CURRY, DALEY, DENLINGER, DeWEESE, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI,
J. EVANS, FABRIZIO, FICHTER, FLEAGLE, FORCIER, FRANKEL,
GABIG, GEIST, GEORGE, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GOOD, GOODMAN,
GRUCELA, HARHAI, HARPER, HARRIS, HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HERSHEY,
HESS, HICKERNELL, HORSEY, JAMES, KILLION, LAUGHLIN, LEACH,
LEDERER, LEH, LESCOVITZ, MAJOR, MANN, MARKOSEK, MARSICO,
McGILL, MICOZZIE, S. MILLER, MUSTIO, PALLONE, PAYNE,
PHILLIPS, PICKETT, READSHAW, ROBERTS, ROHRER, ROSS, RUBLEY,
SANTONI, SATHER, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, SCHRODER, SEMMEL, SHANER,
B. SMITH, SOLOBAY, TANGRETTI, THOMAS, TIGUE, TRUE, TURZAI,
WALKO, WATSON, WEBER, WHEATLEY, WILT, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD,
ZUG AND FREEMAN, MAY 26, 2004
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
MAY 26, 2004
A RESOLUTION
1 Declaring the month of June 2004 as "Hepatitis C Awareness
2 Month" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Hepatitis is a known public health threat and is
4 known to be caused by many viruses; and
5 WHEREAS, Chronic viral hepatitis due to hepatitis C has been
6 a disease that has little or no public awareness due to its
7 nature as being largely asymptomatic until irreversible liver
8 damage has occurred; and
9 WHEREAS, Hepatitis C currently infects nearly 4 million
10 Americans, including an estimated 216,000 Pennsylvanians, and
11 there are about 30,000 new cases and approximately 10,000 deaths
1 each year in the United States; and
2 WHEREAS, The consequences of hepatitis C cost approximately
3 $7.5 million per 100,000 people; and
4 WHEREAS, Hepatitis C is largely nonreported and the public is
5 uninformed about the virus; and
6 WHEREAS, In the absence of a vaccine for hepatitis C,
7 emphasis must be placed on other means of disease prevention,
8 including education of health care workers, emergency services
9 workers, veterans and the general public; and
10 WHEREAS, Hepatitis C has been characterized by the World
11 Health Organization as a disease of primary concern to humanity;
12 therefore be it
13 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives declare June 2004
14 as "Hepatitis C Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania and urge the
15 citizens of this Commonwealth to learn about the causes,
16 symptoms, diagnoses and treatments for hepatitis C.
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