Bill Text: IL SJR0071 | 2011-2012 | 97th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges the Illinois Senate and the Illinois House of Representatives to create a joint legislative cancer caucus, to be known as the Illinois Legislative Cancer Caucus, to provide a forum for discussing and evaluating public policies affecting cancer research, treatment, education, and prevention efforts.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 14-6)
Status: (Failed) 2013-01-08 - Session Sine Die [SJR0071 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2011-SJR0071-Introduced.html
| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
| ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, Forty years ago, with the passage of the National | ||||||
3 | Cancer Act of 1971 (P.L. 92-218), leaders of the United States | ||||||
4 | came together to establish cancer research and patient care as | ||||||
5 | public health priorities; and
| ||||||
6 | WHEREAS, In 2011, an estimated 571,950 Americans, or more | ||||||
7 | than 1,500 people a day, were expected to die of cancer; and
| ||||||
8 | WHEREAS, Cancer is the second most common cause of death in | ||||||
9 | the United States, exceeded only by heart disease; and
| ||||||
10 | WHEREAS, In the United States, cancer accounts for nearly 1 | ||||||
11 | in every 4 deaths; and
| ||||||
12 | WHEREAS, The risk of being diagnosed with cancer increases | ||||||
13 | with age, with the majority of cases occurring in middle-aged | ||||||
14 | and older adults; and
| ||||||
15 | WHEREAS, In the United States, men have slightly less than | ||||||
16 | a 1-in-2 lifetime risk of developing cancer; and
| ||||||
17 | WHEREAS, In the United States, women have slightly more | ||||||
18 | than a 1-in-3 lifetime risk of developing cancer; and
|
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | WHEREAS, A total of 65,610 new cases of cancer among | ||||||
2 | Illinois residents were reported in 2011; and
| ||||||
3 | WHEREAS, In 2011, the American Cancer Society reported an | ||||||
4 | estimated 23,140 cancer deaths in Illinois; and
| ||||||
5 | WHEREAS, Cancer touches everyone, either through a direct, | ||||||
6 | personal diagnosis or indirectly through the diagnosis of a | ||||||
7 | family member or friend; and
| ||||||
8 | WHEREAS, According to the American Association for Cancer | ||||||
9 | Research, the Human Genome Project has identified more than 290 | ||||||
10 | cancer-related genes, and the list of those genes will continue | ||||||
11 | growing as researchers continue identifying genomic changes | ||||||
12 | associated with different types of cancer; and
| ||||||
13 | WHEREAS, Other external factors affect cancer risks, | ||||||
14 | including, but not limited to, differences in occupational | ||||||
15 | hazards, environmental exposure to pollution and other toxins, | ||||||
16 | access to education, nutrition, physical activity, safe | ||||||
17 | neighborhoods, and healthy foods; and
| ||||||
18 | WHEREAS, Scientific achievements have resulted in the U.S. | ||||||
19 | Food and Drug Administration's approval of 39 targeted cancer | ||||||
20 | therapies; and
|
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | WHEREAS, According to the American Association for Cancer | ||||||
2 | Research, advances in chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and | ||||||
3 | palliative care have led to important improvements in patient | ||||||
4 | care and, as a result, increases in survival rates associated | ||||||
5 | with many cancers, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia, | ||||||
6 | Hodgkin's disease, aggressive lymphomas, and testicular | ||||||
7 | cancer; and
| ||||||
8 | WHEREAS, Advances in cancer care, including early | ||||||
9 | detection and high-quality treatment programs, and access to | ||||||
10 | health care coverage are necessary to provide cancer patients | ||||||
11 | with an efficient and effective continuum of care; and
| ||||||
12 | WHEREAS, Public policy can influence and support efficient | ||||||
13 | cancer care by mitigating some of the economic and public | ||||||
14 | health burdens on State agencies, including the Department of | ||||||
15 | Public Health, the Department of Healthcare and Family | ||||||
16 | Services, and the Department of Human Services; therefore, be | ||||||
17 | it
| ||||||
18 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL | ||||||
19 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | ||||||
20 | CONCURRING HEREIN, that an urgent and significant need exists | ||||||
21 | to discuss and evaluate public policies affecting cancer | ||||||
22 | research, treatment, education, and prevention efforts; and be | ||||||
23 | it further
|
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | RESOLVED, That the Illinois Senate and the Illinois House | ||||||
2 | of Representatives, by this resolution, express their support | ||||||
3 | for the establishment of a joint legislative cancer caucus, to | ||||||
4 | be formally known as the Illinois Legislative Cancer Caucus; | ||||||
5 | and be it further
| ||||||
6 | RESOLVED, That the Illinois Legislative Cancer Caucus | ||||||
7 | shall act as a forum for legislators and affiliate members to | ||||||
8 | learn about important public health issues related to cancer | ||||||
9 | and to evaluate legislative proposals concerning those issues; | ||||||
10 | and be it further
| ||||||
11 | RESOLVED, That the members and affiliate members of the | ||||||
12 | Illinois Legislative Cancer Caucus shall work to increase | ||||||
13 | awareness and promote policies to prevent, treat, and educate | ||||||
14 | the public about cancer, with the ultimate goal of identifying | ||||||
15 | solutions to unmet needs; and be it further
| ||||||
16 | RESOLVED, That the Illinois Legislative Cancer Caucus | ||||||
17 | shall work to strengthen community support programs, to meet | ||||||
18 | the diverse needs of Illinois's citizens, and to support | ||||||
19 | programs that make treatment options available to the medically | ||||||
20 | indigent; and be it further
| ||||||
21 | RESOLVED, That the organizing members of the Illinois |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | General Assembly respectfully request recognition within the | ||||||
2 | Illinois General Assembly as the official caucus for issues | ||||||
3 | related to cancer prevention, treatment, and education | ||||||
4 | efforts; and be it further
| ||||||
5 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
6 | distributed to the members of the General Assembly, the | ||||||
7 | Governor, the Director of Public Health, the Director of | ||||||
8 | Healthcare and Family Services, and the Secretary of Human | ||||||
9 | Services.
|