Senate Bill sb0672

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 2002                                   SB 672

    By Senator Saunders





    25-651-02                                               See HB

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to prostate cancer;

  3         establishing a Prostate Cancer Awareness

  4         Program within the Department of Health;

  5         specifying purpose, activities, administration,

  6         and funding sources for the program; creating a

  7         prostate cancer advisory committee; providing

  8         for appointment of members; providing for

  9         reimbursement of expenses; providing an

10         effective date.

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12         WHEREAS, prostate cancer is the most common type of

13  cancer and the second leading cause of death from cancer among

14  men in the United States and in Florida, and

15         WHEREAS, an estimated 198,100 men in the United States

16  will have been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2001, 15,000

17  of them residents of Florida, and

18         WHEREAS, an estimated 31,500 men in the United States

19  will have died from prostate cancer in 2001, 2,400 of them

20  residents of Florida, and

21         WHEREAS, Florida has both the second highest number of

22  new cases of prostate cancer and the second highest number of

23  deaths from prostate cancer in the United States, and

24         WHEREAS, the risk of being diagnosed with prostate

25  cancer is higher among elderly men, and Florida has a high

26  percentage of elderly men compared to other states, and

27         WHEREAS, African-American men have a 50-percent higher

28  risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer and are more than

29  twice as likely to die from the disease than Caucasian men,

30  but are less likely to be screened for the disease, and

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2002                                   SB 672
    25-651-02                                               See HB




  1         WHEREAS, 74 percent of all prostate cancer among

  2  African-American men is detected at local and regional sites;

  3  however, the 5-year survival rate drops to 30 percent when

  4  prostate cancer has spread to distant sites, and

  5         WHEREAS, the risk of being diagnosed with prostate

  6  cancer is 50 percent higher among men with a family history of

  7  prostate cancer, and

  8         WHEREAS, the 5-year survival rate for men who have

  9  prostate cancer diagnosed at an early stage is 95 percent

10  compared to 34 percent when diagnosis occurs at a late stage,

11  and 68 percent of non-Caucasian men with prostate cancer in

12  Florida are diagnosed at an early stage compared to 75 percent

13  of Caucasian men, NOW, THEREFORE,

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15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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17         Section 1.  Prostate Cancer Awareness Program.--

18         (1)  This section may be cited as the "Prostate Cancer

19  Awareness Act of 2002."

20         (2)  To the extent that funds are specifically made

21  available for this purpose, the Prostate Cancer Awareness

22  Program is established within the Department of Health. The

23  purpose of this program is to implement the January 2000

24  recommendations of the Florida Prostate Cancer Task Force to

25  provide statewide outreach and health education activities to

26  ensure that men are aware of and appropriately seek medical

27  counseling for prostate cancer as an early detection health

28  care measure.

29         (3)  The program shall utilize known effective

30  strategies that may include, but are not limited to, radio and

31  television advertisements, newspaper articles and feature

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                   SB 672
    25-651-02                                               See HB




  1  stories, community education outreach programs, peer education

  2  strategies, brochures, posters, videos, and computer-based

  3  resources.

  4         (4)  For purposes of implementing the program, the

  5  Department of Health may:

  6         (a)  Conduct activities directly or enter into a

  7  contract with a qualified nonprofit community education

  8  entity.

  9         (b)  Seek any available gifts, grants, or funds from

10  the state, the Federal Government, philanthropic foundations,

11  and industry or business groups.

12         (5)  A prostate cancer advisory committee is created to

13  advise and assist the Department of Health in implementing the

14  program.

15         (a)  The Secretary of Health shall appoint the advisory

16  committee members, who shall consist of:

17         1.  Three persons from prostate cancer survivor groups

18  or cancer-related advocacy groups.

19         2.  Three persons who are scientists or clinicians from

20  public universities or research organizations.

21         3.  Three persons who are practicing cancer medical

22  specialists from health organizations with a commitment to

23  cancer research and control.

24         (b)  Members shall serve without compensation, but may,

25  pursuant to s. 112.061, Florida Statutes, receive

26  reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses incurred in the

27  performance of their official duties.

28         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                   SB 672
    25-651-02                                               See HB




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  2                          HOUSE SUMMARY

  3
      Establishes a Prostate Cancer Awareness Program within
  4    the Department of Health. Specifies program purpose and
      activities. Authorizes the department to enter into a
  5    contract and seek funding resources for program
      implementation. Creates an advisory committee, to be
  6    appointed by the department secretary, to advise and
      assist in implementing the program. Provides for
  7    reimbursement of committee members' per diem and travel
      expenses.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.