SCR 1-LUPUS AWARENESS MONTH    9:10:45 AM CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI announced the next order of business would be SCR 1. SENATOR MEYER moved to adopt committee substitute (CS) for SCR 1 ( ), version 27-LS0099\B, as the working document. 9:12:41 AM CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI objected for discussion purposes. CELESTE HODGE, staff to Senator Bettye Davis, said SCR 1 designates May as Lupus Awareness Month, and it encourages all Alaskans to observe Lupus Awareness Month with appropriate activities that provide both education and support for people diagnosed with lupus. Lupus is a disease that affects the immune system, causing inflammation and tissue damage. Major gaps exist in the understanding of the causes and consequences of lupus. Lupus can affect any body part, including the skin, lungs, heart, kidney, and brain. It can cause seizures, strokes, heart attacks, miscarriages, and organ failure. Lupus strikes mostly women of childbearing age and women of color develop lupus at a rate two to three times the rate that Caucasians develop the disease. It is difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are similar to other illnesses. Each year the month of May is designated as Lupus Awareness Month to show support for the estimated 1.5 million Americans with lupus. More than 3,000 cases of lupus have been diagnosed in Alaska in patients 20 - 87 years of age. Ten members of the Lupus Foundation of America, Alaska Chapter, recently passed away from lupus. By designating May as Lupus Awareness Month, Alaska will join other states to help increase awareness of lupus and show support for those diagnosed with the disease. SENATOR BETTYE DAVIS, sponsor of SCR 1, thanked the committee for hearing the bill. CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI asked what changes are in the CS from the original version. MS. HODGE answered that the year 2011 was removed, so that every May is designated as Lupus Awareness Month. MARY CRIMMINGS, Lupus Foundation of America, testified in support of SCR 1. She said the Lupus Foundation of America is a national, nonprofit health organization that conducts programs of research, education, and advocacy. Lupus is a chronic auto immune disease in which the immune system is out of balance, causing inflammation and tissue damage to virtually any organ system. Health effects can include heart attacks, strokes, seizures, miscarriages, and organ failure. Lupus can cause significant disability as well as death, and currently there is no cure. It is estimated that 1.5 million Americans including nearly 3,500 people living in Alaska have lupus. It is nine times more common in women, and two to three times more common among African Americans, Hispanic Latinos, Asian Americans, and Native Americans. The reason for this disparity remains a mystery. In 2003 the Lupus Foundation of America stimulated funding for the first comprehensive epidemiology through the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This study is being conducted in Alaska. Working in partnership with the Indian Health Service, the CDC is discovering how many people have lupus and determining how many new cases occur each year. This will help researchers and policy-makers to gain a better understanding of the individual and social impacts of the disease. Twenty-one other states have already begun the process of declaring May as Lupus Awareness Month. ANNA TILLMAN, Executive Director, Lupus Foundation Alaska Chapter, said they are trying to educate all Alaskans including doctors and the medical community about this disease. Young people are affected, mostly women in their childbearing years. People struck by this disease can become unable to care for themselves. Others never know from day to day what their limitations will be. It can attack the lungs, brain, and all organs. Lupus can be very debilitating as it affects all tissues in the body. JUDY POWELL, Chairman of the Board, Alaska Lupus Chapter, explained the Alaska lupus problem. In the United States there are more people with lupus than with multiple sclerosis, sickle cell anemia, and cystic fibrosis combined. Blacks are at risk three to one, and Alaska Natives as well as other minorities including Asians and Hispanics are at risk two to one to Caucasians. Symptoms can be as mild as a rash or as extreme as kidney failure. The Anchorage office is the only one in Alaska. It is important, because we are so isolated here, to spread the word on a regular basis. CHRISTY BAUMGARTNER testified in support of SCR 1 and said that she has a family member with lupus. CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI closed public testimony on SCR 1. SENATOR DAVIS gave final comments on the resolution. She said that the people involved are all volunteers, and they work very hard. They have a fundraising walk once a year, but they work at this all year long. CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI said SCR 1 would be set aside for further hearing.