HARRY HUGHES, Governor

2029

CHAPTER 250

(Senate Bill 877)

AN ACT concerning

State Commission on Arthritis and Related Diseases

FOR the purpose of creating the State Commission on Arthritis and
Related Diseases; defining a certain term; providing for the
membership, appointments, qualifications, terms, and removal
of members of the Commission; providing for the appointment
of a chairman; providing for a quorum, meetings,
compensation, staff, and powers and duties for the
Commission; providing for the terms of the members initially
appointed under this Act; and generally relating to the
State Commission on Arthritis and Related Diseases.

BY adding to

Article - Health - General

Section 13-501 through 13-506 to be under the new subtitle
"Subtitle 5. Commission on Arthritis and Related
Diseases"
Annotated Code of Maryland
(1982 Volume and 1984 Supplement)

Preamble

WHEREAS, Joint Resolution No. 29 of the Acts of 1980 (Senate
Joint Resolution No. 60) created the Governor's Task Force on
Arthritis in order to identify the health, social, educational,
and economic needs of the State's citizens suffering from
arthritis and related diseases, to assess the economic impact
resulting from arthritis with regard to the public and private
sectors of the State, and to ascertain the most cost effective
means to meet the existing needs; and

WHEREAS, The Governor's Task Force on Arthritis submitted a
report to the Governor and General Assembly on March 5, 1984,
which provided evidence of the potential, positive impact of a
multidisciplinary group to define problems and to create
priorities related to the major problem of arthritis and related
rheumatic diseases; and

WHEREAS, The Governor's Task Force on Arthritis has
presented staggering figures concerning the incidence and
prevalence of and cost resulting from arthritis and related
rheumatic diseases in Maryland; and

WHEREAS, The report detailed the educational qualifications
of physicians in Maryland who treat arthritic patients,