PRINTER'S NO. 3018
No. 544 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY SANTONI, SHAPIRO, ARGALL, BRENNAN, COHEN, DALEY,
DENLINGER, DONATUCCI, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GEIST, GEORGE,
GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HENNESSEY, HORNAMAN, JAMES, KULA,
LONGIETTI, MAHONEY, MELIO, MOUL, MUSTIO, MYERS, M. O'BRIEN,
PETRONE, READSHAW, SHIMKUS, SIPTROTH, K. SMITH, SURRA,
J. TAYLOR, THOMAS, WALKO, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD AND
YUDICHAK, DECEMBER 13, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,
DECEMBER 13, 2007
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Establishing a task force to study issues concerning steroid use
2 by high school students throughout this Commonwealth and to
3 make recommendations to the General Assembly on how to
4 prevent such use.
5 WHEREAS, According to a study conducted by the United States
6 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, steroid use among
7 teen athletes has more than doubled over the last decade, with
8 an especially alarming increase among teenage girls; and
9 WHEREAS, Research has shown that the use of steroids and
10 other performance-enhancing drugs has profoundly harmful effects
11 on the physical and mental health of teens; and
12 WHEREAS, The documented health risks of steroid use include,
13 among others, the increased chance of suffering a heart attack
14 or stroke, of developing liver and other cancers and of
15 triggering mood and hormonal imbalances; and
16 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth must take immediate steps to assess
1 and combat this problem before it becomes a public health
2 crisis; therefore be it
3 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the General Assembly
4 establish a steroid use and prevention task force to gather
5 information, establish facts and develop recommendations
6 concerning steroid use and prevention among high school students
7 in this Commonwealth; and be it further
8 RESOLVED, That the task force be comprised of 17 members with
9 expertise in assessing and reducing teen steroid use by virtue
10 of their involvement in the fields of education, health,
11 athletics and law, including:
12 (1) Two persons appointed by the President pro tempore
13 of the Senate, including at least one member of the Senate.
14 (2) Two persons appointed by the Minority Leader of the
15 Senate, including at least one member of the Senate.
16 (3) Two persons appointed by the Speaker of the House of
17 Representatives, including at least one member of the House
18 of Representatives.
19 (4) Two persons appointed by the Minority Leader of the
20 House of Representatives, including at least one member of
21 the House of Representatives.
22 (5) Two persons appointed by the Governor, one of whom
23 shall be a licensed Pennsylvania pediatrician.
24 (6) The Secretary of Education or his designee.
25 (7) The Secretary of Health or his designee.
26 (8) The chairman of the State Board of Education or his
27 designee.
28 (9) The president of the Pennsylvania School Boards
29 Association or his designee.
30 (10) The executive director of the Pennsylvania
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1 Interscholastic Athletic Association or his designee.
2 (11) A high school coach appointed by the president of
3 the Pennsylvania Coaches' Association.
4 (12) A school nurse who is a member of the Pennsylvania
5 State Education Association (PSEA) appointed by the president
6 of the PSEA;
7 and be it further
8 RESOLVED, That the chairman of the task force be selected by
9 majority vote of the members of the task force; and be it
10 further
11 RESOLVED, That the task force be responsible for:
12 (1) Holding public hearings to gather information on the
13 physical and psychological effects of steroid use on
14 teenagers.
15 (2) Determining the extent of the problem among high
16 school student-athletes in this Commonwealth.
17 (3) Developing a Statewide steroid education program to
18 be taught in the schools of this Commonwealth.
19 (4) Determining the most appropriate academic setting,
20 such as physical education or health class, in which to
21 implement said educational program.
22 (5) Examining the effects and prevalence of other
23 performance enhancers, such as nutritional supplements, and
24 determining whether to include information on them in the
25 proposed educational program.
26 (6) Crafting a comprehensive policy on steroid use and
27 prevention to be introduced throughout this Commonwealth's
28 schools.
29 (7) Holding a Summit on Steroid Use and Prevention for
30 high school athletic directors and other school
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1 administrators in this Commonwealth, to be convened in the
2 fall of 2008, to educate school personnel about the issue of
3 teen steroid use and about concrete steps they can take to
4 eliminate the problem in their individual schools;
5 and be it further
6 RESOLVED, That the members of the task force serve without
7 compensation, but be reimbursed for all necessary and reasonable
8 expenses incurred in the performance of their duties; and be it
9 further
10 RESOLVED, That the reasonable expenses incurred by the task
11 force be equally divided between the Senate and the House of
12 Representatives; and be it further
13 RESOLVED, That the task force be authorized to hold hearings,
14 take testimony and make its investigations at such places as it
15 deems necessary in this Commonwealth; and be it further
16 RESOLVED, That the task force prepare a report containing its
17 findings and recommendations, together with any necessary
18 legislation, and deliver it to the General Assembly by September
19 30, 2009.
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