RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, according to federal government statistics, cervical cancer is the third most common gynecological cancer among American women, with approximately 12,200 new cases diagnosed annually, of which 4,100 result in death; and

WHEREAS, cervical cancer is highly preventable and is the only cancer with one known precursor and cause -- the human papillomavirus; and

WHEREAS, regular and accurate papanicolaou and human papillomavirus screenings have helped reduce cervical cancer death rates, but women are still dying because advanced medical techniques and evaluative procedures are underutilized; and

WHEREAS, cervical cancer cases in the United States are generally attributed to a lack of education, a lack of accessibility to regular cervical cancer screening, and a lack of screening accuracy; and

WHEREAS, experience shows that increasing cervical cancer education and awareness among women, especially underserved women within the state, significantly reduces mortality rates; and

WHEREAS, approximately half of all cervical cancer cases are in women who have never been screened, and ten per cent of cases are in women who have not been screened in the last five years; and

WHEREAS, in Hawaii, the incidence rate for cervical cancer is 10.1 per 100,000, and the mortality rate is 1.9 per 100,000, with native Hawaiian women having the highest incidence rate in the state; and

WHEREAS, new screening technologies, including the Food and Drug Administration-approved testing for human papillomavirus, offer new opportunities to finally eliminate this potentially deadly disease through early identification of women at increased risk; and

WHEREAS, there is a need to coordinate multiple statewide efforts to address this disease; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, the Senate concurring, that the members of the Women's Caucus, who are concerned about increasing information about the understanding of cervical cancer and wish to support the mission of the Department of Health, Office of Comprehensive Cancer Control, are requested to form action groups to disseminate information focusing on the elimination of cervical cancer in Hawaii within the next ten years; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Department of Health, the Office of Comprehensive Cancer Control, and the Hawaii Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition, are requested to provide the appropriate information to the Women's Caucus to disseminate to the community; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of the State of Hawaii requests the Governor to establish the Hawaii Cervical Cancer Elimination Task Force (Task Force) to consist of 22 members; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Health, Med-Quest Administrator, Chairperson of the Hawaii Women's Caucus, and Executive Director of the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women (Commission), or their respective designees, be members of the Task Force; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor appoint additional members of the Task Force, from lists of nominees submitted by the President of the Senate, as follows:

(1) One member of the Senate;

(2) Two representatives from the Hawaii Women's Caucus;

(3) A representative of a women's health organization;

(5) A certified Department of Education school teacher;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor appoint additional members of the Task Force, from lists of nominees submitted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as follows:

(1) One member of the House of Representatives;

(2) Two representatives from the Hawaii Women's Caucus;

(3) A member of the Hawaii Cancer Research Center;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor appoint the following members of the Task Force:

(1) A representative from the University of Hawaii;

(2) The State Epidemiologist;

(3) Two members at-large;

(4) A media representative; and

(5) A licensed registered nurse;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor appoint the Chair of the Task Force from among its members; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force elect the Vice-Chair from among its members; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor ensures, insofar as possible, that the members of the Task Force accurately reflect the diverse composition of Hawaii's population; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor appoint all members of the Task Force no later than 30 days after the adjournment of the Regular Session of 2005; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force meet quarterly, or more frequently at the discretion of the Chair of the Task Force; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chair of the Task Force may establish committees to carry out special studies and may appoint persons outside of the Task Force to serve on committees as resource persons; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a majority of the Task Force constitutes a quorum for the transaction of its business; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force, beginning in 2006, submit an annual report to the Legislature and the Governor no later than 20 days prior to the convening of each Regular Session that addresses:

(2) The anticipated time needed to complete the Plan; and

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force dissolve itself on June 30, 2010; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the:

(1) Governor;

(2) Director of Health;

(3) Women's Caucus of the Hawaii State Legislature

(4) Med-QUEST Administrator;

(5) Chairperson of the Hawaii Women's Caucus;

(6) Executive Director of the Commission;

(8) American Association of Pediatrics;

(9) Hawaii Cancer Research Center;

(10) Hawaii Comprehensive Cancer Coalition; and

(11) Hawaii Medical Association.

Report Title:

Women's Caucus dissemination of information and Governor's Task Force; Cervical Cancer