H.C.R. 8

1

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON PARKINSON'S DISEASE
2 2013 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Chief Sponsor: Stewart Barlow
5 Senate Sponsor: J. Stuart Adams
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor urges the Utah
10 Department of Health to add Parkinson's Disease to its registry of diseases.
11 Highlighted Provisions:
12 This resolution:
13 . urges the Utah Department of Health to include Parkinson's Disease in its registry of
14 diseases; and
15 . encourages the Utah Department of Health to consider ways it may partner with
16 interested groups to help fund a Parkinson's Disease registry.
17 Special Clauses:
18 None
19
20 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
21 WHEREAS, Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a common degenerative disease that affects
22 one in 100 individuals over the age of 65;
23 WHEREAS, PD is a progressive, ultimately fatal condition that is more common in
24 Utah than in other states;
25 WHEREAS, on average, PD patients begin to show symptoms from ages 60 to 65;
26 WHEREAS, although the over-65 segment of the United States population is currently
27 growing at a steep 10-year rate of 15%, the growth rate in Utah has reached 31%;

28 WHEREAS, capturing the precise number of PD patients in the state, planning
29 healthcare needs, improving early diagnosis and education, and providing correct medical or
30 surgical therapy will help increase understanding of this disease;
31 WHEREAS, no similar statewide registry covering a population of 2,600,000 exists
32 anywhere in the world;
33 WHEREAS, in conjunction with other state registries, the Utah Population Database,
34 and the Utah Genome Project, this registry could be a unique resource for help in unraveling
35 the causes of this devastating disease;
36 WHEREAS, if established, a PD registry would join a list of other state databases,
37 including the Utah Cancer Registry and the Utah Autism Registry designed to track important
38 diseases and public health hazards;
39 WHEREAS, surprisingly little is known about how common this condition is among
40 different population groups, what the causes are, and whether the patterns of disease are
41 changing over time; and
42 WHEREAS, collecting and analyzing this information in an entire state would provide
43 important clues about the causes of the disease and would help to ensure that adequate health
44 care resources are available for all patients:
45 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
46 Governor concurring therein, urges the Utah Department of Health to include Parkinson's
47 Disease in its registry of diseases.
48 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor encourage the
49 Utah Department of Health to consider ways it may partner with interested groups to help fund
50 a Parkinson's Disease registry.
51 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Utah
52 Department of Health, the Department of Neurology at the University of Utah, and the
53 Parkinson's Disease Association.




Legislative Review Note
as of 2-15-13 8:49 PM

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

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