1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to health; designating the month of May 2005
1.3 	as "Hepatitis C Awareness and Education Month" in the
1.4 	state of Minnesota.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. HEPATITIS C AWARENESS AND EDUCATION.
 1.7 	The legislature finds that:
1.8 	(1) hepatitis C is a "silent epidemic" and is the most
1.9 	common chronic bloodborne viral infection in the United States;
1.10 	(2) hepatitis C has been characterized by the World Health
1.11 	Organization as a disease of primary concern to humanity;
1.12 	(3) hepatitis C currently infects approximately 3.9 million
1.13 	persons in the United States and each year there are some 25,000
1.14 	new infections nationwide;
1.15 	(4) hepatitis C is now one of the leading causes of liver
1.16 	disease, placing infected individuals at elevated risk for
1.17 	chronic liver disease, liver cancer, liver transplantation, and
1.18 	other hepatitis C virus related illnesses;
1.19 	(5) the National Institute of Health estimates that
1.20 	approximately 10,000 to 12,000 persons die annually from the
1.21 	consequences of hepatitis C and this number continues to grow
1.22 	each year;
1.23 	(6) the principal components of the national hepatitis C
1.24 	prevention strategy are:
1.25 	(i) education of health care and public health
2.1 	professionals to improve the identification of persons at risk
2.2 	of hepatitis C infection and ensuring appropriate counseling,
2.3 	diagnosis, medical management, and treatment;
2.4 	(ii) education of the public and persons at risk for
2.5 	infection about risk factors for hepatitis C transmission and
2.6 	the need for testing and medical evaluation;
2.7 	(iii) clinical and public health activities to identify,
2.8 	counsel, and test persons at risk for hepatitis C infection and
2.9 	medical evaluation and referral for those found to be infected;
2.10 	(iv) outreach and community-based programs to prevent
2.11 	practices that put people at risk for hepatitis C infection and
2.12 	to identify persons who need to be tested;
2.13 	(v) surveillance to monitor acute and chronic disease
2.14 	trends and evaluate the effectiveness of prevention and medical
2.15 	care activities; and 
2.16 	(vi) research to better guide prevention efforts;
2.17 	(7) hepatitis C infection is three to four times more
2.18 	prevalent in the United States than HIV/AIDS and approximately
2.19 	one-fourth of all HIV infected persons are coinfected with
2.20 	hepatitis C;
2.21 	(8) 60 to 70 percent of hepatitis C virus-infected persons
2.22 	are chronically infected and few of those infected with
2.23 	hepatitis C are aware that they are infected, since symptoms
2.24 	often do not develop until ten to 20 years after the infection
2.25 	is contracted;
2.26 	(9) infected individuals who are unaware that they are
2.27 	infected are unlikely to take precautions to prevent the spread
2.28 	or exacerbation of their infection;
2.29 	(10) in Minnesota, there are 71,637 estimated unidentified
2.30 	hepatitis C infected persons statewide based on 2001 passive
2.31 	surveillance and national prevalence statistics;
2.32 	(11) the Minnesota legislature is concerned with preserving
2.33 	and protecting the health of the citizens of Minnesota; and 
2.34 	(12) educating the public and health care community
2.35 	throughout the state about hepatitis C will ensure an optimal
2.36 	approach to controlling this potentially lethal disease.

3.1 	Sec. 2. HEPATITIS C AWARENESS AND EDUCATION MONTH.
 3.2 	The month of May 2005 is designated "Hepatitis C Awareness
3.3 	and Education Month" in the state of Minnesota.  The governor
3.4 	shall issue a proclamation honoring this observance.

3.5 	Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.
 3.6 	Sections 1 and 2 are effective the day following final
3.7 	enactment.