House File 196 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY RANTS
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act providing for the establishment of a hepatitis C awareness
2 program.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 1767YH 81
5 rn/pj/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 135.20 HEPATITIS C AWARENESS
1 2 PROGRAM == VETERANS == VACCINATIONS.
1 3 1. The department shall establish and administer a
1 4 hepatitis C awareness program. The goal of the program shall
1 5 be to distribute information to veterans regarding the higher
1 6 incidence of hepatitis C exposure and infection among
1 7 veterans, the dangers presented by the disease, and contacts
1 8 for additional information and referrals. For purposes of
1 9 this section, "veteran" means an individual meeting the
1 10 definition contained in section 35.1.
1 11 2. The information to be distributed shall be determined
1 12 by the department by rule, in consultation with the commission
1 13 of veterans affairs. The information shall, at a minimum,
1 14 contain statements indicating that:
1 15 a. The federal department of veterans affairs estimates a
1 16 hepatitis C infection rate in veterans more than three times
1 17 higher than for the general population.
1 18 b. The infection rate for Vietnam veterans is estimated to
1 19 be even higher than for other veterans groups.
1 20 c. The disease is caused by a bloodborne virus readily
1 21 transmitted during combat and combat=related emergency medical
1 22 treatment.
1 23 d. Many veterans currently carrying the virus were
1 24 infected prior to the development of medical screening tests.
1 25 e. The hepatitis C virus often resolves into a chronic
1 26 infection without symptoms for ten to thirty years before
1 27 signs of resultant liver disease appear.
1 28 f. This unusually long latency period makes it difficult
1 29 to connect current symptoms with an infection that may have
1 30 actually been contracted during military service decades ago.
1 31 The information shall also present treatment options and
1 32 shall specify a procedure to be followed for veterans desiring
1 33 a medical consultation for screening and treatment purposes.
1 34 The department shall cooperate with the state commission of
1 35 veterans affairs regarding distribution of the information to
2 1 the veterans home, the county commissions of veteran affairs,
2 2 veterans hospitals, and other appropriate points of
2 3 distribution.
2 4 Sec. 2. REPORT. The department shall submit a report to
2 5 the members of the general assembly by January 1, 2007,
2 6 regarding the development and distribution of the information
2 7 required by this Act and any resulting impact.
2 8 EXPLANATION
2 9 This bill provides for the establishment of a hepatitis C
2 10 awareness program by the Iowa department of public health.
2 11 The bill provides that the goal of the program shall be to
2 12 distribute information to veterans regarding the higher
2 13 incidence of hepatitis C exposure and infection among
2 14 veterans, the dangers presented by the disease, and contacts
2 15 for additional information and referrals.
2 16 The bill provides that the information to be distributed
2 17 shall be determined by the department by rule, in consultation
2 18 with the state commission of veterans affairs. The bill
2 19 provides that information shall at a minimum contain
2 20 statements indicating that estimates place hepatitis C
2 21 infection rates in veterans more than three times higher than
2 22 for the general population and higher still for Vietnam
2 23 veterans, that the disease is readily transmitted during
2 24 combat and combat=related emergency medical treatment, that
2 25 many veterans were infected prior to the development of
2 26 medical screening tests, that the virus often resolves into a
2 27 chronic infection without symptoms for 10 to 30 years before
2 28 signs of resultant liver disease appear, and that this can
2 29 make it difficult to connect current symptoms with an
2 30 infection that may have actually been contracted during
2 31 military service decades ago. The bill provides that the
2 32 information shall also present treatment options and shall
2 33 specify a procedure to be followed for veterans desiring a
2 34 medical consultation for screening and treatment purposes.
2 35 The bill provides that the department shall cooperate with
3 1 the state commission of veterans affairs the distribution of
3 2 the information to the veterans home, the county commissions
3 3 on veteran affairs, veterans hospitals, and other distribution
3 4 points.
3 5 The bill provides that the department shall submit a report
3 6 to the members of the general assembly by January 1, 2007,
3 7 regarding the distribution and impact of the information.
3 8 LSB 1767YH 81
3 9 rn:rj/pj/5.1