HR0924 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0924 LRB093 22045 HSS 50950 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Each year in Illinois, violent acts claim the lives of many Illinois residents; the reduction of violence needs to be a priority for the State of Illinois; information related to the incidents of violent death can assist health care professionals, law enforcement officials, and other government officials in developing public policy to reduce violence against Illinois residents; and

WHEREAS, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention is considering applications to expand the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS); and

WHEREAS, Data related to violent deaths are typically housed in multiple agencies and are not shared among agencies for analysis, resulting in incomplete information and a distorted understanding of local, state, and national issues related to violent deaths; and

WHEREAS, The NVDRS brings together data from all agencies investigating violent deaths to allow the fullest possible understanding of trends in violent deaths from data that is already being collected; and

WHEREAS, Since 2002 the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has funded 13 states in the first phase of development of the National Violent Death Reporting System and this year will fund 2 or 3 additional states; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Department of Public Health has agreed to participate in the 2004 application for funding, with the Chicago Department of Public Health taking the lead in the first phase of the Illinois Violent Death Reporting System (IVDRS) and the Child Health Data Lab at Children's Memorial Hospital playing a supporting role by evaluating the system and facilitating state-wide implementation; and

WHEREAS, The Department of Public Health, the State Police, the Chicago Department of Public Health, the Chicago Police Department, the Cook County Medical Examiner, the Peoria County Sheriff, the Peoria County Coroner, the Winnebago County Coroner, the City of Rockford Police, and the Illinois Child Death Review Team have all agreed to participate in data sharing for the IVDRS; and

WHEREAS, The purpose of the IVDRS is to establish a state-wide violent death reporting system to analyze deaths caused by homicide, suicide, unintentional firearm injuries, and acts of terrorism, and to develop and evaluate preventative measures as well as to identify emerging trends in violent deaths in Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to grant funding for the Illinois Violent Death Reporting System; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be sent to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.