House Bill 1160

AN ACT TO CREATE THE CERVICAL CANCER ELIMINATION TASK FORCE; TO SPECIFY THE DUTIES OF THE TASK FORCE; TO PROVIDE FOR THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE TASK FORCE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

WHEREAS, following breast cancer, cervical cancel is the second most common cancer in women worldwide, and ninety-nine and seven-tenths percent (99-7/10%) of cervical cancer cases are linked to HPV (human papillomavirus); and

WHEREAS, HPV is a very common infection, and according to federal governmental statistics, cervical cancer is the third most common gynecological cancer among American women, with approximately twelve thousand two hundred (12,200) new cases diagnosed annually, four thousand one hundred (4,100) of which result in fatalities; and

WHEREAS, cervical cancer disproportionately affects minority women, in the United States, African-American women have the highest age-adjusted mortality rate from cervical cancer and are followed by Latino-American women. Among women thirty (30) through fifty-four (54) years old, Vietnamese women have the highest incidence, followed by Latino-American women and African-American women; and

WHEREAS, with regular and accurate screening, cervical cancer is highly preventable, and widespread screening programs have helped to reduce death rates of women from cervical cancer, but women are still dying even with such advanced medical techniques and evaluation procedures; and

WHEREAS, experience shows that increasing cervical cancer awareness among women, significantly reduces the probability of mortality; and

WHEREAS, approximately one-half (1/2) of all cervical cancer cases are in women who have never been screened, and ten percent (10%) of cases are in women who have not been screened within the last five (5) years; and

WHEREAS, new screening technologies now available and vaccines that are in development, offer new methods in preventing and controlling the risk of cervical cancer; and

WHEREAS, leading medical organizations, including the

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Cancer Society and the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, have recently updated their screening guidelines to include FDA-approved testing for HPV; and

WHEREAS, women are entitled to proper cervical cancer information so that they can be empowered to make health care decisions: NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) There is created the Cervical Cancer Elimination Task Force, which shall have the following duties:

(a) Review data regarding cervical cancer and human papillomavirus (HPV) of women within all states and territories of the United States;

(b) Evaluate current methods used to provide women with information regarding cervical cancer, access to regular screening and options for increasing use of new technology to test for and prevent HPV; and

(c) Identify pockets of need, priority strategies and new technologies, including newly introduced therapies and preventative vaccines that are effective in preventing and controlling the risk of cervical cancer.

The task force shall make a report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature by December 1, 2005, including any recommended legislation.

(2) The task force shall be composed of seven (7) members, as follows:

(a) Three (3) members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House;

(b) Three (3) members of the Senate to be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor; and

(3) Legislative appointments shall be made within thirty (30) days after the effective date of this act. Within fifteen (15) days thereafter on a day to be designated jointly by the Speaker of the House and the Lieutenant Governor, the task force shall meet and organize by selecting from its membership a chairman and a vice chairman. The vice chairman shall also serve as secretary and shall be responsible for keeping all records of the task force. A majority of the members of the task force shall constitute a quorum. In the selection of its officers and the adoption of rules, resolutions and reports, an affirmative vote of a majority of the task force shall be required. All members shall be notified in writing of all meetings, and those notices shall be mailed at least fifteen (15) days before the date on which a meeting is to be held.

(4) The member of the task force who is not a legislator shall be compensated at the per diem rate authorized by Section 25-3-69 and shall be reimbursed in accordance with Section 25-3-41 for mileage and actual expenses incurred in the performance of his or her duties. Legislative members of the task force shall be paid from the contingent expense funds of their respective houses in the same manner as provided for committee meetings when the Legislature is not in session. However, no per diem or expenses for attending meetings of the task force will be paid to legislative members of the task force while the Legislature is in session. No task force member may incur per diem, travel or other expenses unless previously authorized by vote, at a meeting of the task force, which action shall be recorded in the official minutes of the meeting. The nonlegislative member shall be paid from any funds made available to the task force for that purpose.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2005.