§16-5U-3. Interagency council on arthritis.

(a) There is hereby established the interagency council on arthritis. The Director of Public Health shall chair the council. The council shall have representatives from appropriate state departments and agencies including, but not limited to, the entities with responsibility for aging, health care reform implementation, education and public welfare.

(b) The council shall:

(1) Coordinate arthritis programs conducted by or through the Bureau for Public Health;

(2) Establish a mechanism for sharing information on arthritis among all officials and employees involved in carrying out arthritis-related programs;

(3) Review and coordinate the most promising areas of education, prevention and treatment concerning arthritis;

(4) Assist the Bureau for Public Health and other offices in developing and coordinating plans for education and health promotion on arthritis;

(5) Establish mechanisms to use the results of research concerning arthritis in the development of relevant policies and programs; and

(6) Prepare a report that describes educational initiatives on arthritis and transmit the report to the Legislature and the Governor and make the report available to the public.

(c) The council shall establish and coordinate the advisory panel on arthritis which will provide nongovernmental input regarding the program. Membership shall include, but is not limited to, persons with arthritis, public health educators, arthritis experts, providers of arthritis health care, persons knowledgeable in health promotion and education and representatives of national arthritis organizations or their state and regional affiliates.