Report Title:

Cervical Cancer Elimination Task Force

Description:

Establishes the cervical cancer elimination task force for the State and appropriates funds.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

249

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

Relating to the cervical cancer elimination task force.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women worldwide after breast cancer. Among American women, the disease is the third most common gynecological cancer, with approximately twelve thousand two hundred new cases diagnosed annually and four thousand one hundred of those cases resulting in death. In Hawaii, the incidence rate for cervical cancer is 10.1 per one hundred thousand and the mortality rate is 1.9 per one hundred thousand. Native Hawaiian women have the highest incidence rate in the State.

With regular and accurate screening, cervical cancer is highly preventable. Widespread screening programs have been successful in reducing death rates from the disease. Despite effective prevention technologies, women are still dying from cervical cancer.

Most cervical cancer cases in the United States are attributed to lack of education and access to regular cervical cancer screening and low screening accuracy. Experience shows that increasing cervical cancer awareness among women, especially underserved women, significantly reduces mortality rates. Statewide public education is needed to inform and educate women in Hawaii about preventing cervical cancer.

New screening technologies, including testing by the Food and Drug Administration approved testing for human papillomavirus, which is the cause of virtually all cervical cancers, offer new opportunities to eliminate this potentially deadly disease through early identification of women at increased risk. Too often, however, human papillomavirus and cervical cancer are detected late. Furthermore, many medical providers are reluctant to discuss human papillomavirus with patients, making the prevention of cervical cancer even more difficult.

Women are entitled to proper cervical cancer information, so that they can be empowered to make informed health care decisions and have access to routine screening, including the most accurate methods available. The purpose of this Act is to establish a cervical cancer task force to ensure that women are educated about the disease and human papillomavirus and aid in the elimination of cervical cancer in the State.

SECTION 2. Chapter 321, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§321- Cervical cancer elimination task force. (a) The Hawaii cervical cancer elimination task force is established within the department of health, which shall provide all necessary administrative and staff support to the task force.

(b) The task force shall have twenty-two members, who shall not be subject to senate confirmation. The governor shall appoint the chairperson from among the members. The task force shall elect the vice chair from among its members. The director of health, the Med-QUEST administrator, the chairperson of the Hawaii Women's Caucus, and the executive director of the Hawaii state commission on the status of women, or their respective designees, shall be members of the task force. The following additional members shall be appointed by the governor from lists of nominees submitted by:

(1) The president of the senate:

(A) One member of the senate;

(B) Two representatives from the Hawaii Women's Caucus;

(C) A representative of women's health organizations;

(D) A representative from the American Association of Pediatrics; and

(E) A certified department of education school teacher.

(2) The speaker of the house of representatives:

(A) One member of the house of representatives;

(B) Two representatives from the Hawaii Women's Caucus;

(C) A member of the Hawaii Cancer Research Center;

(D) A member from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; and

(E) A member from the health insurance industry.

(c) The following members shall be appointed by the governor:

(1) A representative from the University of Hawaii;

(2) The state epidemiologist;

(3) Two members at-large;

(4) A media representative; and

(5) A licensed registered nurse.

(d) The governor shall ensure, insofar as possible, that the appointees to the task force reflect the composition of the population of Hawaii with regard to ethnicity, race, gender, age, and religion. Members of the task force shall serve without pay but shall be reimbursed for expenses, including travel expenses, incurred in the performance of official duties.

(e) The president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives shall make their nominations to the governor, and the governor shall make appointments to the task force not later than thirty days after the adjournment of the 2005 regular session of the legislature. The governor shall fill any vacancy on the task force using the criteria set out in this section for the original appointment.

(f) The task force shall meet at least quarterly or more frequently at the discretion of the chairperson.

(g) The chairperson of the task force may establish committees for the purpose of making special studies pursuant to its duties and may appoint non-task force members from any state executive agency to serve on each committee as resource persons. Resource persons shall be voting members of the committees and shall serve without pay but shall be reimbursed for expenses, including travel expenses, incurred in the performance of official duties. Committees shall meet as frequently as needed to accomplish the purposes of this section.

(h) A majority of the task force shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of its business.

(i) The task force may use funds allocated to it by the legislature to establish and fill one full-time staff position exempt from chapters 76 and 89, and for other expenditures needed to assist the task force in carrying out its duties.

(j) The cervical cancer elimination task force shall:

(1) Prepare a statistical and qualitative examination of the prevalence and burden of cervical cancer;

(2) Raise public awareness of the causes and nature of cervical cancer, personal risk factors, value of prevention, early detection, options for testing, treatment costs, new technology, medical care reimbursement, and physician education;

(3) Identify priority strategies, new technologies or newly introduced vaccines that are effective in preventing and controlling the risk of cervical cancer;

(4) Identify and examine the limitations of existing laws, rules, programs, and services with regard to coverage and awareness issues for cervical cancer;

(5) Educate and urge medical providers to provide educational information to patients about human papillomavirus and the prevention of cervical cancer;

(6) Develop a statewide comprehensive cervical cancer prevention plan, and strategies for implementing the plan and promoting it to the general public, state and local elected officials, various public and private organizations and associations, businesses, industries, and agencies;

(7) Secure specific commitments from, and facilitate coordination of and communication among, state and local agencies, organizations, businesses, and other entities regarding current or future involvement in implementing and promoting the plan or achieving other aims of the cervical cancer task force plan; and

(8) Receive and consider reports and testimony from individuals, county health agencies, community-based organizations, voluntary health organizations, and other public and private organizations statewide to learn more about their contributions to cervical cancer diagnosis, prevention, and treatment and more about their ideas for improving cervical cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in Hawaii.

(k) Beginning in 2006, the task force shall submit an annual report; no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session, to the legislature, and the governor. The annual report shall address:

(1) Progress made by the task force in developing the cervical cancer plan;

(2) The anticipated time needed to complete the prevention plan; and

(3) Recommended strategies or actions to reduce the occurrence of and burdens suffered from cervical cancer by citizens of the State.

(l) The task force shall cease to exist on June 30, 2010."

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2005-2006, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007, for the establishment and operation of the cervical cancer elimination task force, to carry out the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of health.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2005.

INTRODUCED BY:

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