Bill Text: CA ACR82 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Chaptered

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Bill Title: Food allergy awareness.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Passed) 2014-01-30 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 2, Statutes of 2014. [ACR82 Detail]

Download: California-2013-ACR82-Chaptered.html

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BILL NUMBER: ACR 82	CHAPTERED
	BILL TEXT

	RESOLUTION CHAPTER  2
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  JANUARY 30, 2014
	ADOPTED IN SENATE  JANUARY 27, 2014
	ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY  SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Pan

                        SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

   Relative to food allergy awareness.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   ACR 82, Pan. Food allergy awareness.
   This measure would encourage all Californians to make themselves
and their families aware of the risk of food allergies and
preventative measures, and to educate themselves regarding emergency
responses and would declare September as Food Allergy Awareness
Month.



   WHEREAS, As many as 15 million people in the United States have a
food allergy; and
   WHEREAS, Research indicates the prevalence of food allergies is
increasing among children. Six million children under 18 years of
age, roughly two in every classroom, have a food allergy; and
   WHEREAS, The eight foods that cause 90 percent of all food allergy
reactions in the United States are shellfish, fish, milk, eggs, tree
nuts, peanuts, soy, and wheat; and
   WHEREAS, A food allergy occurs when the immune system mistakenly
targets a harmless food protein, an allergen, as a threat and attacks
it. The immune system releases abnormally large amounts of
antibodies that fight the food allergens, which in turn trigger the
symptoms of an allergic reaction; and
   WHEREAS, Symptoms of a food allergy can include a tingling
sensation in the mouth, swelling of the tongue and throat, difficulty
breathing, hives, vomiting, a drop in blood pressure, loss of
consciousness, or death; and
   WHEREAS, Consumption of a food allergen may lead to anaphylaxis, a
potentially fatal condition in which several different parts of the
body experience the allergic reaction and can, within minutes of
exposure, lead to difficulty breathing and unconsciousness; and
   WHEREAS, The Natalie Giorgi Sunshine Foundation was created after
the death of Natalie Marie Giorgi, a 13-year-old girl who passed away
because of a severe allergic reaction to peanuts, in order to reduce
dangerous food allergy deaths by spreading public awareness,
providing education regarding emergency responses, and increasing the
availability of epinephrine injectors in public places; and
   WHEREAS, There is no cure for a food allergy, and the only sure
way to avoid a reaction is to exercise strict avoidance of an
allergen; and
   WHEREAS, Food Allergy Research and Education, a nonprofit
organization, works on behalf of 15 million people in the United
States with food allergies to ensure the safety of individuals with
food allergies by providing education and resources and investing in
research that advances treatment and understanding of food allergies;
now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That all Californians be encouraged to make
themselves and their families aware of the risk of food allergies and
preventative measures, and to educate themselves regarding emergency
responses; and be it further
   Resolved, That September is Food Allergy Awareness Month; and be
it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.