Bill Text: IL HJR0071 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Declares June 1 through June 7, 2026 as Hidradenitis Suppurativa Awareness Week in the State of Illinois. Recognizes the importance of increasing awareness and education about HS among the public and health professionals, promoting timely and accurate diagnosis of HS through improved screening and culturally competent care, supporting research to better understand HS pathogenesis, treatment efficacy, and long-term outcomes, accelerating the development of effective treatments and expanding access to existing therapies for HS, and advancing policies that improve access to care and quality of life for people living with HS and their caregivers.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2026-11-04 - Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Yolonda Morris [HJR0071 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HJR0071-Introduced.html

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HJ0071 LRB104 23637 ECR 40133 r
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is a chronic,
inflammatory skin disease that affects approximately 3.3
million people in the United States; and
WHEREAS, HS causes painful, boil-like nodules and
abscesses anywhere on the body, and the disease can progress
to form tunnels under the skin and cause extensive scarring;
and
WHEREAS, Individuals with HS frequently suffer from five
primary domains of physical and emotional suffering, including
pain, drainage, odor, itching, and profound psychological
distress; and
WHEREAS, HS is associated with one of the highest
completed suicide rates among dermatological diseases, second
only to melanoma; and
WHEREAS, 75% of individuals with HS are misdiagnosed or
not diagnosed until after age 25, and the average accurate HS
diagnosis can take up to seven to ten years to reach, missing
critical windows for early intervention and prolonging
physical and psychological distress; and

HJ0071 - 2 - LRB104 23637 ECR 40133 r
WHEREAS, Delayed diagnosis of HS contributes to worsening
disease progression, higher healthcare costs, avoidable
emergency room visits, and unnecessary procedures; and
WHEREAS, Individuals with HS are often diagnosed in the
prime of their lives, affecting their ability to work,
maintain relationships, and participate fully in society; and
WHEREAS, Prolonged and repeated courses of topical and
oral antibiotics remain a standard of care for HS despite a
lack of quality data demonstrating efficacy and safety; and
WHEREAS, Studies have documented elevated rates of
antimicrobial resistance in HS lesions among patients with
prior or ongoing antibiotic use for HS, raising concerns for
both individual patients and broader public health; and
WHEREAS, Additional research focused on HS is urgently
needed to develop new treatments, understand the pathogenesis
of the disease, identify biomarkers, and improve outcomes for
patients; and
WHEREAS, State policy can play a critical role in
improving access of HS patients to therapies, wound care, and
comprehensive care; and

HJ0071 - 3 - LRB104 23637 ECR 40133 r
WHEREAS, Designating the first week of June as
Hidradenitis Suppurativa Awareness Week would increase public
awareness, foster understanding, and catalyze progress in
diagnosing, treating, and ultimately curing HS; therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we declare June 1 through June
7, 2026 as Hidradenitis Suppurativa Awareness Week in the
State of Illinois; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we recognize the importance of increasing
awareness and education about HS among the public and health
professionals, promoting timely and accurate diagnosis of HS
through improved screening and culturally competent care,
supporting research to better understand HS pathogenesis,
treatment efficacy, and long-term outcomes, accelerating the
development of effective treatments and expanding access to
existing therapies for HS, and advancing policies that improve
access to care and quality of life for people living with HS
and their caregivers; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
delivered to the Illinois Department of Public Health.