Sacramento –Assemblymember Curren Price (D-Inglewood) announced that the California State Assembly Health Committee passed his bill, AB 2208.  If signed into law, AB 2208 will enact the Lupus Education and Awareness Program.  The passage of AB 2208 out of Health Committee is a crucial step to getting this bill signed by the Governor. 

“I am extremely pleased that I have been given the chance to present AB 2208 in front of the Assembly Appropriations Committee,” said Assemblymember Price.  “With millions of people diagnosed with lupus each year, it is important that we educate the public about this debilitating disease.”  

Lupus is a prototypical autoimmune disease that attacks the vital organs including the heart, kidney, lungs and brain and is difficult to diagnose.  There is currently no known cure for lupus.
The public knows very little about lupus and its symptoms. This creates a health crisis, especially for those who are most likely to be diagnosed with the disease.  In a nationwide poll of 1000 adults conducted by the Lupus Foundation of America, 38% said they are somewhat or very familiar with lupus, while 39% have only heard the name of the disease, and 22% have never heard of lupus.  Additional surveys, conducted by the Lupus Foundation of America, reveal a lack of awareness and understanding of the symptoms and consequences of lupus. 

AB 2208 provides for a needs assessment of existing education programs and services to identify gaps, and creates a directory of lupus-related services and lupus healthcare providers with specialization in services to diagnose and treat lupus.   Additionally, the measure authorizes the Department of Public Health, along with various stakeholders, to develop a strategic plan on educating and raising awareness about lupus based upon the needs assessment.

This victory in raising lupus education and awareness comes after the 2007 passage of Assemblymember Price’s Assembly Joint Resolution 34, designating October as National Lupus Awareness Month.  Assemblymember Price has vowed to continue to be a pioneer in the fight for lupus awareness.

This bill passed out of committee on a party line vote of 12-4.  AB 2208 will be heard in Assembly Appropriations Committee sometime in the next two weeks.