2012
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 12-031
       
       
       BY SENATOR(S) Aguilar, Bacon, Boyd, Brophy, Cadman, Carroll,
       Foster, Giron, Grantham, Guzman, Harvey, Heath, Hodge, Hudak, Jahn,
       Johnston, King K., King S., Lambert, Lundberg, Mitchell, Morse,
       Neville, Newell, Nicholson, Renfroe, Roberts, Scheffel, Schwartz,
       Spence, Steadman, Tochtrop, White, Williams S., Shaffer B.;
       also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Kefalas, Acree, Balmer, Barker,
       Baumgardner, Brown, Conti, Court, Duran, Fields, Fischer, Hamner,
       Holbert, Kagan, Kerr J., Labuda, Lee, Liston, McCann, Miklosi, Murray,
       Nikkel, Peniston, Priola, Ramirez, Ryden, Soper, Stephens, Summers,
       Swalm, Swerdfeger, Szabo, Todd, Tyler, Vigil, Waller, Williams A.,
       Wilson, Young, McNulty.
       
       
          CONCERNING HEPATITIS C AWARENESS DAY. 
       
       
          WHEREAS, Hepatitis C is recognized as the most common
       blood-borne viral infection in the United States; and
       
          WHEREAS, Hepatitis C has infected an estimated 80,000 Coloradans;
       as many as 3.2 million Americans, nearly 2 out of every 100 persons; and
       over 170 million persons worldwide; and
       
          WHEREAS, Hepatitis C is the leading cause of cirrhosis and liver
       cancer, and the number one reason for liver transplants in the United
       States; and
       
          WHEREAS, More Americans die of Hepatitis C than from HIV,
       making Hepatitis C one of the top preventable causes of death in the
       United States; and
       
          WHEREAS, Approximately 15,000 Hepatitis C-related deaths occur
       annually in the United States, and that number is expected to triple in the
       next 10 to 20 years; and
       
          WHEREAS, One in 33 baby boomers has Hepatitis C, and may
       remain unaware of their status without increased screening efforts; and
       
          WHEREAS, The incidence of Hepatitis C disproportionately affects
       minority communities; and
       
          WHEREAS, Symptoms of a Hepatitis C infection include nausea,
       vomiting, upper abdominal pain, dark urine, fever, fatigue, itching, and
       loss of appetite; and
       
          WHEREAS, 75 percent of infected persons do not have any signs or
       symptoms, leading the Hepatitis C virus to be labeled as "the silent
       epidemic"; and
       
          WHEREAS, The projected direct and indirect costs of the Hepatitis
       C epidemic through 2019 total approximately $85 billion; and
       
          WHEREAS, New drugs have been approved that significantly
       increase the sustained virologic response rate among Hepatitis C patients
       seeking treatment; and
       
          WHEREAS, Risk factors can be evaluated, Hepatitis C can be
       prevented, testing can detect Hepatitis C virus infections, and early
       diagnosis and treatment can save lives, money, and resources; now,
       therefore,
       
          Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty-eighth General Assembly of
       the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein:
       
          That we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly:
       
          (1)  Agree that preventing and treating Hepatitis C is an important
       public health initiative that will improve the quality of life for Coloradans
       affected by the virus and will reduce Medicaid costs to the state; and
       
          (2)  Declare July 28, 2012, as "Hepatitis C Awareness Day" in
       Colorado, and further recognize that day as "World Hepatitis Awareness
       Day".
       
          Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to
       Nancy A. Steinfurth, Executive Director of Hep C Connection; Raquel
       Jos‚, International Relations Director of the World Hepatitis Alliance;
       and the following people in the Colorado Department of Public Health
       and Environment:  Christopher E. Urbina, M.D., MPH, Executive
       Director and Chief Medical Officer; Lisa Miller, M.D., MSPH, Disease
       Control and Environmental Epidemiology Division Director; and Amy
       Warner, Program Manager of the Viral Hepatitis Program.
       
       
       
       
       
       ____________________________  ____________________________
       Brandon C. Shaffer                     Frank McNulty
       PRESIDENT OF                    SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
       THE SENATE                        OF REPRESENTATIVES
       
       
       
       
       
       
       ____________________________  ____________________________
       Cindi Markwell                        Marilyn Eddins
       SECRETARY OF                CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
       THE SENATE                        OF REPRESENTATIVES