Florida SR 1742: Chronic Kidney Disease Awareness Month

Bill Text

Florida Senate - 2023 (NP) SR 1742

By Senator Powell

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Senate Resolution 1
A resolution recognizing March 2023 as “Chronic Kidney 2
Disease Awareness Month” in Florida and acknowledging 3
the importance of improving the diagnosis and 4
treatment of chronic kidney disease through community-5
based programs that address racial disparities in the 6
awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease. 7
8
WHEREAS, March is recognized as National Kidney Month, 9
which makes this month an important time for raising public 10
awareness and understanding about chronic kidney and rare kidney 11
diseases, and 12
WHEREAS, more than 1 in 7 adults in the United States — 13
nearly 37 million people — are estimated to have chronic kidney 14
disease (CKD), and it is believed that as many as 9 in 10 adults 15
with CKD are undiagnosed, and 16
WHEREAS, 90 percent of patients with CKD stages 1-3 are 17
undiagnosed, and less than 3 percent of African American 18
patients believe that they are at high risk for CKD, and 19
WHEREAS, kidney disease disproportionately affects 20
communities of color, with African Americans nearly 4 times more 21
likely and Hispanics 1.3 times more likely to experience kidney 22
failure than white Americans, and 23
WHEREAS, CKD is often diagnosed in the late stages of the 24
disease when irreversible damage to the kidneys has already 25
occurred, and 26
WHEREAS, 15 percent of people diagnosed with CKD are 27
unaware of the cause of their disease, and 28
WHEREAS, recent scientific advancements have shown that 29

Florida Senate - 2023 (NP) SR 1742

24-03378-23 20231742__
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some of the disparities in the occurrence of CKD have a genetic 30
basis, and 31
WHEREAS, this genetic risk factor for CKD was discovered in 32
2010 when scientists learned that people who inherit two 33
variants of the apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) gene are at 34
significantly increased risk of developing kidney disease, and 35
WHEREAS, while everyone has the APOL1 gene, only people 36
with African ancestry inherit certain genetic variants, and 37
WHEREAS, 13 percent of African Americans carry two APOL1 38
risk variants, and estimates suggest that up to 1 in 5 people 39
with two APOL1 risk variants will develop kidney disease, and 40
WHEREAS, APOL1-mediated kidney disease causes high levels 41
of protein in the urine, or proteinuria, and decreased kidney 42
function which can lead to various symptoms, including swelling 43
in the legs and feet, fatigue, and weight gain, and 44
WHEREAS, research has also shown that the course of kidney 45
disease progresses more rapidly in individuals with two APOL1 46
risk variants than in patients without them, and 47
WHEREAS, the disease may eventually lead to kidney failure, 48
requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant, and 49
WHEREAS, there are simple tests to diagnose CKD, including 50
blood and urine tests, and a genetic test exists to identify the 51
presence of APOL1 risk variants, and 52
WHEREAS, it is imperative that this state improve the 53
diagnosis and treatment of CKD through community-based programs 54
that address racial disparities in the awareness, diagnosis, and 55
treatment of CKD, NOW, THEREFORE, 56
57
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 58

Florida Senate - 2023 (NP) SR 1742

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
59
That March 2023 is recognized as “Chronic Kidney Disease 60
Awareness Month” in Florida and the importance of improving the 61
diagnosis and treatment of chronic kidney disease through 62
community-based programs that address racial disparities in the 63
awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease is 64
acknowledged. 65