Spring 2010 Policy Agenda
On March 3, 2010, people living with lung disease, medical professionals and volunteers visited the capital to advocate for bills that protect lung health. Advocates spoke with more than 50 representatives and senators to gather their support on the following legislation.
Tobacco
House Bill 5766 (Representative Feigenholtz) and Senate Bill 3480 (Senator Steans) - This legislation requires insurers to provide $500 coverage for tobacco cessation which may include counseling, prescription nicotine replacement treatments and pharmacological medications. The cost for insurers to provide these benefits is only 10 to 40 cents per member per month. All studies have shown a return on investment.
House Bill 5526 (Representative Yarbrough) - This bill will license all retailers that sell tobacco. This can significantly reduce the sale of tobacco to minors and likely increase revenue by cracking down on counterfeit cigarette sales.
Senate Bill 3174 (Senator Link) - This legislation will restrict sales and access to e-cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes, "e-cigarettes," are battery-operated devices that contain cartridges with nicotine, flavor and other chemicals. The FDA found these devices contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals.
Tobacco Tax Increase - Providing needed revenue and impacting health, an increase in the state tobacco tax is a win-win for public policy. This would bring in $557 million in the first two years and it would also prevent 102,000 kids from becoming addicted smokers. The long term health care savings associated with the lower smoking rates are estimated at $2.3 billion.
Settlement Dollars Prevention - Another budget issue is to protect tobacco settlement dollars for tobacco prevention programs. A greater portion of the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) should be dedicated to tobacco cessation and prevention programs.
Asthma
House Bill 5836 (Representative Golar) - This legislation will improve student compliance with the law that allows them to carry and self-administer their asthma inhaler by allowing parents to provide consent.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
HJR 104 (Representative Will Davis and Senator Steans) - This declares November as COPD Awareness Month in Illinois. COPD is a preventable, treatable disease that is the 4th leading cause of death, and projected to be the 3rd leading cause of death by 2020. It is estimated that more than 550,000 Illinoisans have been diagnosed with either chronic bronchitis, emphysema or a combination of both.
Clean energy
House Bill 6013 (Representative Graham) and Senate Bill 3686 (Senator Harmon) - This legislation would gradually ramp up the use of solar electricity generated in Illinois between 2012 and 2015 and extend the requirement that solar energy sold in Illinois from 2011 to 2016 is from solar power projects constructed in Illinois.
For more information about these lung friendly bills, contact Matt Maloney:
Email Matt
312-628-0233
