Bill Text: CA ACR104 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Chaptered

California Assembly Concurrent Resolution 104

Bill Title: Hepatitis.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 52-18)

Status: (Passed) 2023-09-08 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 157, Statutes of 2023. [ACR104 Detail]

Download: California-2023-ACR104-Chaptered.html

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 104

CHAPTER 157

Relative to hepatitis.

[ Filed with Secretary of State September 08, 2023. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

ACR 104, Low. Hepatitis.

This measure would recognize July 28 as World Hepatitis Day and would urge all California institutions, nonprofit organizations, health care organizations, businesses, community leaders, and residents to ensure screenings for hepatitis B and C, vaccinations for hepatitis B, and treatment become the standard of care.

Fiscal Committee: NO

WHEREAS, Hepatitis B and C are the leading cause of liver cancer and liver transplants. Liver cancer is one of the few cancers that continue to rise in California and the United States, and more people die in California from hepatitis B- and C-related liver disease than any other state; and

WHEREAS, A person dies every 30 seconds from a hepatitis-related illness and 350,000,000 people worldwide are living with viral hepatitis, 9 out of 10 of whom do not know they are infected; and

WHEREAS, An estimated 300,000 Californians are infected with hepatitis B and an estimated 400,000 Californians are infected with hepatitis C, despite the medical system having simple and effective tools, including screening for both hepatitis B and C, that can prevent cancer, vaccination for hepatitis B, and a cure for hepatitis C; and

WHEREAS, Both of these diseases continue to cause devastating loss of life in our communities and cost $50,000,000 to $70,000,000 annually and over $500,000,000 in the past decade; and

WHEREAS, A recommendation issued in March 2023 by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for universal adult hepatitis B screenings completes the hepatitis B trifecta. The first being the passage of Assembly Bill 789 in 2021, requiring primary care providers to offer hepatitis B and C screenings. The second being the near universal vaccination recommendation issued in 2022 for hepatitis B. All together, these present a unique charge and directive to ingrain both hepatitis B and C screenings, preventative care, and linkage to care into all health systems; and

WHEREAS, The CDC, the United States Preventive Services Task Force, and the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease all recommend testing of adults for hepatitis B and C, and these services are covered by the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Medicaid as routine preventive services; and

WHEREAS, Unfortunately, awareness of infections among patients remains critically low. Less than one-third of people who have hepatitis B were aware of their condition, while only 60 percent of hepatitis C patients had knowledge of their infection; and

WHEREAS, The hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemic continues to grow at an alarming rate, despite curative treatments being available since 2014; and

WHEREAS, The CDC has reported that the annual rate of HCV cases tripled from 2009 to 2018, with the highest rates among younger adults, driven primarily by injection drug use; and

WHEREAS, The Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan specifically indicates that the implementation of these screenings, vaccinations, and additional investment in public health programs fighting hepatitis are required to achieve the national goal of viral hepatitis elimination by 2030; now, therefor, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature commends all the dedicated organizations, volunteers, activists, those with lived experience, and those who strive for health justice, serving California with their advocacy and prevention efforts for hepatitis B and C; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature urges all California institutions, nonprofit organizations, health care organizations, businesses, community leaders, and residents to ensure screenings for hepatitis B and C, vaccinations for hepatitis B, and treatment become the standard of care to fight against hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and liver cancer; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature urges all health care institutions and providers to ensure full implementation of the mandate to offer hepatitis B and C screening and the followup care and treatment or linkage to appropriate care and treatment to all adults in California and to increase clinician education on the importance of hepatitis screenings and adult vaccinations for hepatitis B, and when appropriate, care and treatment; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature urges all Asian and Pacific Islander, Native American, and Black communities, people who use drugs, and other vulnerable and marginalized communities in California to know their hepatitis status by getting screened, get linked to appropriate care, get vaccinated for hepatitis B if clinically indicated, and get treated for hepatitis B and C, as needed, and to urge their friends and families to also be screened and referred to care and treatment, if appropriate; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature recognizes July 28 as World Hepatitis Day, a day bringing awareness of the global burden of viral hepatitis and to influence real change; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.