Chapter 23 Oregon Laws 2011

AN ACT

SB 348

Relating to lupus awareness; and declaring an emergency.

Whereas lupus is a debilitating autoimmune disease that attacks various parts of the body, including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, blood, kidneys and brain, and, in some cases, causes death; and

Whereas more than five million people worldwide suffer the devastating effects of this inflammatory illness, and each year more than 100,000 people are newly diagnosed with lupus, the great majority of whom are women of childbearing age; and

Whereas an estimated 20,000 Oregonians are affected by lupus; and

Whereas lupus is more prevalent among African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and Asians; and

Whereas thousands of people die from lupus each year because a cure remains elusive; and

Whereas medical research into lupus and into treatments that are safer and more effective for patients with lupus is underfunded in comparison with diseases of comparable magnitude and severity; and

Whereas many physicians in this country and around the world are unaware of the symptoms and health effects of lupus, causing many people to suffer needlessly for years before obtaining the correct diagnosis and medical treatment; and

Whereas there is a deep, unmet need in Oregon and worldwide to educate and support individuals and families affected by lupus and its physical and emotional impacts; now, therefore,

Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:

SECTION 1. May of each year shall be known as Lupus Awareness Month.

SECTION 2. May 10, 2011, shall be known as Oregon Lupus Day.

SECTION 3. Section 2 of this 2011 Act is repealed on January 2, 2012.

SECTION 4. This 2011 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2011 Act takes effect on its passage.

Approved by the Governor May 5, 2011

Filed in the office of Secretary of State May 5, 2011

Effective date May 5, 2011

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