By Lewis of Orange H.C.R. No. 287
77R15624 MKS-D
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1-1 WHEREAS, Asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease
1-2 characterized by recurrent episodes of breathlessness, wheezing,
1-3 coughing, and chest tightness, all of which can be triggered by a
1-4 wide range of environmental and personal health factors; and
1-5 WHEREAS, The symptoms of asthma range from mild to
1-6 life-threatening and often result in hospitalization, visits to the
1-7 emergency room, and even death; and
1-8 WHEREAS, Asthma is a major public health problem and a source
1-9 of growing concern among health professionals, who have seen a
1-10 doubling in the cases of asthma in the last 15 years, with more
1-11 than 15 million people suffering from the disease in the United
1-12 States alone; and
1-13 WHEREAS, Asthma affects Americans of all ages, races, and
1-14 ethnic groups, but low-income and minority populations are
1-15 especially hard hit with substantially higher rates of fatalities,
1-16 hospital admissions, and emergency room visits as a result of
1-17 asthma; and
1-18 WHEREAS, This disease is one of the the leading causes of
1-19 childhood illness, the most common chronic childhood disease, and
1-20 the leading cause of school absenteeism for children younger than
1-21 16 years of age; studies indicate that children with asthma miss
1-22 twice as many school days as children without the illness,
1-23 accounting for a total of more than 10 million missed school days
1-24 annually; and
2-1 WHEREAS, The National Institutes of Health estimates that the
2-2 cost of asthma in the year 2000 was $12.7 billion, with direct
2-3 costs amounting to $8.1 billion and lost earnings due to illness or
2-4 death totaling $4.6 billion; and
2-5 WHEREAS, Asthma has become an increasingly important public
2-6 health issue for Texas as the state has witnessed the death rates
2-7 due to asthma nearly double between 1980 and 1998; and
2-8 WHEREAS, To address this growing problem, the State of Texas
2-9 needs to focus on the prevalence of asthma, the quality of care
2-10 given to those suffering with asthma, and the prevention and
2-11 education efforts the state offers to combat this disease; now
2-12 therefore, be it
2-13 RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas
2-14 hereby request the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house
2-15 of representatives to create a joint interim committee to develop a
2-16 Texas asthma and allergy plan and to study issues including, but
2-17 not limited to, the state's current efforts in disease management
2-18 and asthma education, as well as the cost of asthma to the state,
2-19 the impact of missed days of school, and environmental factors
2-20 associated with asthma; and, be it further
2-21 RESOLVED, That, in addition to legislative members, the
2-22 committee include a primary care physician caring for asthma
2-23 patients, a pediatrician, an emergency room physician, and a rural
2-24 physician; a physician office nurse, an emergency room nurse, a
2-25 school nurse, and an advanced nurse practitioner; a pharmacist
2-26 representing a retail chain pharmacy and a pharmacist representing
2-27 a rural privately owned pharmacy; a member of the Asthma Coalition
3-1 of Texas; a member of the American Lung Association; a member of
3-2 the Texas Education Agency; the commissioner of insurance; and a
3-3 parent of an asthma patient; and, be it further
3-4 RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be
3-5 governed by such general rules and policies for joint interim
3-6 committees as the 77th Legislature may adopt and that such rules
3-7 and policies supersede the provisions of this resolution to the
3-8 extent of any conflict; and, be it further
3-9 RESOLVED, That the committee submit a full report, including
3-10 findings and recommendations, to the 78th Texas Legislature when it
3-11 convenes in January 2003.