119-hres630

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 630 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 630

 Recognizing July 28, 2025, as ``World Hepatitis Day''.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 August 1, 2025

 Ms. Velazquez (for herself and Mr. Johnson of Georgia) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
 Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Recognizing July 28, 2025, as ``World Hepatitis Day''.

Whereas hepatitis B and hepatitis C, and the incidence of liver disease caused 
 by these viruses, have become urgent problems of a global proportion;
Whereas an estimated 1,340,000 people worldwide die each year due to hepatitis;
Whereas an estimated 254,000,000 people worldwide live with chronic hepatitis B, 
 and an estimated 1,100,000 people worldwide die each year mostly due to 
 a liver-related illness caused by hepatitis B;
Whereas an estimated 50,000,000 people worldwide are chronically infected with 
 hepatitis C, and an estimated 221,000 people worldwide die each year due 
 to a liver-related illness caused by hepatitis C;
Whereas up to an estimated 5,900,000 people in the United States are infected 
 with either hepatitis B or hepatitis C, and up to an estimated 2,400,000 
 who are chronically infected with hepatitis B and up to an estimated 
 3,500,000 people who are chronically infected with hepatitis C;
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
            (CDC) estimated that 
 there were 20,700 new acute hepatitis B infections and 57,500 new acute 
 hepatitis C infections, respectively, in the United States in 2019;
Whereas the CDC has found significant increases in the transmission of new 
 hepatitis cases in the United States since 2010, including a 63-percent 
 increase between 2015 and 2019 in reported cases of acute hepatitis C in 
 the United States;
Whereas chronic viral hepatitis claims thousands of lives each year in the 
 United States, with an estimated 13,895 deaths due to hepatitis C in the 
 United States in 2023;
Whereas up to an estimated 80 percent of people with acute hepatitis C do not 
 have any symptoms;
Whereas available data suggests that more than 70 percent of new hepatitis C 
 infections and 36 percent of new hepatitis B infections are among people 
 who inject drugs;
Whereas African Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, Latinos, Native 
 Americans, Alaska Natives, gay and bisexual men, and persons who inject 
 drugs intravenously all have higher rates of chronic viral hepatitis 
 infections in the United States than other groups of people;
Whereas Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders bear the greatest burden of 
 hepatitis B-related deaths in the United States;
Whereas between 2013 and 2017, liver cancer was the second most common cause of 
 death among Asian American and Pacific Islander males;
Whereas hepatitis C is 10 times more infectious than human immunodeficiency 
 virus

    (HIV) ;
Whereas hepatitis B is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV;
Whereas an estimated 33 percent of people who live in the United States and are 
 infected with HIV are also infected with hepatitis B or C;
Whereas life expectancies for persons infected with HIV have increased with 
 antiretroviral treatment, and liver disease, much of which is related to 
 hepatitis B and hepatitis C infections, has become the most common cause 
 of death among this population that is not related to acquired immune 
 deficiency syndrome;
Whereas, despite the fact that chronic viral hepatitis is the most common blood-
 borne infection in the United States, over half of people living with 
 hepatitis B and hepatitis C are unaware of their infection;
Whereas the hepatitis B vaccine is highly effective, and longstanding Advisory 
 Committee on Immunization Practices

    (ACIP) universal birth dose and 
 childhood hepatitis B recommendations have helped to successfully reduce 
 childhood hepatitis B infections by more than 95 percent in the United 
 States;
Whereas hepatitis C is curable through antiviral treatment but less than a third 
 of people living with hepatitis C receive treatment;
Whereas both hepatitis B and hepatitis C are preventable with proper public 
 health interventions, including programs that offer access to sterile 
 injection equipment for people who inject drugs intravenously;
Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services has released an updated 
 Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan focused on the elimination of 
 viral hepatitis via a syndemic approach by preventing new infections, 
 improving viral hepatitis-related health outcomes, reducing viral 
 hepatitis-related disparities and health inequities, improving 
 surveillance and data usage, and coordinating such efforts;
Whereas ACIP and the CDC now recommend that all adults aged 19 to 59 be 
 vaccinated, and all adults aged 18 and older be screened, for hepatitis 
 B, shifting clinical guidelines from a risk-based to a universal 
 standard and recognizing that previous hepatitis B interventions 
 focusing only on at-risk individuals were insufficient;
Whereas health department hepatitis services have been significantly reduced, 
 community-based organizations have had to reduce operations, severely 
 reducing hepatitis B and C testing, hepatitis B vaccination, and 
 community outreach, and persons living with hepatitis B or C have faced 
 increased challenges in accessing medical care and treatment due to 
 delayed appointments and deprioritization of routine hepatitis or 
 primary care services; and
Whereas the goals of ``World Hepatitis Day'' on July 28, 2025, are to--

    (1) highlight the global nature of chronic viral hepatitis epidemics;

    (2) recognize that hepatitis can be prevented and eliminated in part 
through a comprehensive public education and awareness campaign designed to 
identify those at risk for, and living with, hepatitis;

    (3) inform patients about new treatments that are available for 
hepatitis; and

    (4) help increase the length and quality of life for people diagnosed 
with chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C infections: Now, therefore, be it

 Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

    (1) recognizes ``World Hepatitis Day'';

    (2) supports broad access to hepatitis B and hepatitis C 
 vaccination and treatments;

    (3) supports raising awareness of the risks and 
 consequences of undiagnosed chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C 
 infections;

    (4) calls for a robust governmental and public health 
 response to protect the health of the approximately 5,900,000 
 people in the United States; and

    (5) urges the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to 
 partner with State and local health departments to develop 
 strategies to increase the rate of hepatitis B adult 
 vaccination and hepatitis C treatment to the levels necessary 
 to eliminate new infections in the United States.
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