PRINTER'S NO. 3978
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
889
Session of
2020
INTRODUCED BY BULLOCK, KIM, BIZZARRO, FREEMAN, KORTZ, McNEILL,
KIRKLAND, KINSEY, HILL-EVANS, DONATUCCI, HENNESSEY,
LONGIETTI, SCHMITT, SONNEY, ULLMAN, SCHLOSSBERG, MALAGARI,
READSHAW, BURNS, ROZZI, SCHLEGEL CULVER, NEILSON, MILLARD,
MURT, SCHWEYER AND GAINEY, JUNE 23, 2020
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, JUNE 23, 2020
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of May 2020 as "Hepatitis Awareness Month"
and May 19, 2020, as "Hepatitis Testing Day" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Hepatitis, a condition which causes inflammation and
potential failure of the liver, is caused by a virus and
reported to be found in more than five million people living in
the United States; and
WHEREAS, Hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C are the
most common forms of the disease; and
WHEREAS, Hepatitis D, hepatitis E and autoimmune hepatitis
are also forms of the disease, although they are far more rare
than hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C; and
WHEREAS, Hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C are
transmitted in different ways; and
WHEREAS, Consequently, it is important to know the risk
factors for hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C and how to
connect with testing resources; and
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WHEREAS, It is important that residents of this Commonwealth
assess their risk, get tested and seek vaccination or treatment
as recommended by their health care providers because the signs
and symptoms of hepatitis may not be readily apparent; and
WHEREAS, This Commonwealth has been a leading voice for
hepatitis prevention, detection and treatment; and
WHEREAS, In 1967, Dr. Baruch Blumberg discovered hepatitis B
at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia and later went on
to discover the vaccine that would prevent the transmission of
the virus in 1969, earning him a Nobel Prize in Physiology or
Medicine; and
WHEREAS, Governor Tom Wolf signed Act 87 of 2016, which
requires health care practitioners to offer a hepatitis test to
any individual born between the years 1945 and 1965 at a health
care facility or a physician's office; and
WHEREAS, The Allegheny County Health Department and the
Community Liver Alliance have partnered together to create a
county-wide campaign called Hep C Free Allegheny, which works to
develop and implement strategies to meet the campaign's goal of
eliminating the disease; and
WHEREAS, Similarly, the Hepatitis C Allies of Philadelphia
and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health have started
the C Change initiative with the goal of eliminating hepatitis C
and hepatitis B across the entire city; and
WHEREAS, Based in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, the Hepatitis B
Foundation is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to
finding a cure and improving the quality of life of the
countless individuals affected by hepatitis B; and
WHEREAS, Each year, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention designates May 19 as "Hepatitis Testing Day" and the
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month of May as "Hepatitis Awareness Month" to encourage
individuals to seek testing services so that transmission of
hepatitis can be reduced and health outcomes may be improved;
and
WHEREAS, The United States Department of Health and Human
Services encourages individuals to use the risk assessment tool
on the Department of Health and Human Services' publicly
accessible Internet website to find a trusted, accessible health
care provider for hepatitis testing and treatment; therefore be
it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
month of May 2020 as "Hepatitis Awareness Month" and May 19,
2020, as "Hepatitis Testing Day" in Pennsylvania; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives fully acknowledge
the impact that hepatitis has on residents of this Commonwealth
and their families; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives continue to
advocate for those who are at risk and have been diagnosed with
hepatitis and are seeking accessible and affordable medical
attention in order to maintain or improve their health and
quality of life.
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