Senate Bill 994: What is our stand? Who are the stakeholders? What legislators are key in passage?

We are in support of S.B. 994. In the U.S. over 250,000 women under the age of 40 have been diagnosed with breast cancer, and it is projected that 10,000 more women under the age of 40 will be diagnosed in the next year (YSC, 2009). As nursing students, we see the benefits of preventive healthcare, such as education programs and early screening. Education can help a young female become more aware of her risk factors such as ethnicity, family history, and lifestyle factors. Early screening, such as mammograms and genetic testing, promote early diagnosis and proper treatment. Unfortunately, the educational tools available to young women at risk for breast cancer are limited. If the bill is passed, there will be more funding available for education and media coverage.

Political Action Plan:

- Send letters to extend invitations to our blog to key legislators mentioned below

- Contact the ANA-Political Action Committee to lobby for passage of our bill

- Contact the Young Survival Coalition

- Utilize the Susan G. Komen Foundation as a resource

- Connect and communicate with other organizations that support breast cancer education, prevention and awareness

Key Stakeholders:

- Young women (age 15-40)

- Families of young women diagnosed

- Health care providers

- Media

- Professors at universities

- State agencies that put on educational programs at secondary school and universities such as the Department of Health

- Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Key Legislators:

- Senator Amy Klobuchar

- Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz

- Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland who is a strong promoter of women’s health and is an advocate for cancer screening in women as well as funding for more education and research in women’s health.

- Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island

- Senator Kay Hagan of North Carolina who believes in preventing illnesses rather than waiting for a disease process to begin in order to start treatments