Resolve, To Direct the Department of Health and Human Services To Convene a Task Force To Study the Incidence of Cancer in the State
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1032
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: McGOWAN, BEAVERS, DORNEY, MOONEN, NOON, SHORT, TIPPING-SPITZ

Legislative Document 
No. 1032 
H.P. 727 
House of Representatives, March 14, 2013 
Resolve, To Direct the Department of Health and Human Services 
To Convene a Task Force To Study the Incidence of Cancer in the 
State 
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed. 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative McGOWAN of York. 
Cosponsored by Representatives: BEAVERS of South Berwick, DORNEY of Norridgewock, 
MOONEN of Portland, NOON of Sanford, SHORT of Pittsfield, TIPPING-SPITZ of Orono. 
Sec. 1.  Task force established.  Resolved:  That the Department of Health and 
Human Services, referred to in this resolve as "the department," shall within its own 
resources establish a task force to study the high incidence of cancer in the State 
compared to the rest of the nation and to develop a full understanding of the causes of the 
high rates of cancer and to recommend and provide responses to this health crisis; and be 
it further 
Sec. 2.  Participants. Resolved:  That the department may invite interested parties 
as needed to participate in the task force as follows: 
1.  Representatives of the medical community who specialize in cancer and cancer 
treatment; 
2.  Members of the public who have had cancer or who have had family members 
diagnosed with cancer; 
3.  Representatives of the scientific community who research and study cancers; and 
4.  Any other interested parties; and be it further 
Sec. 3.  Study.  Resolved:  That the study of the task force must include, but is not 
limited to, researching and studying: 
1.  Why Maine has a higher incidence of cancer and a higher rate of cancer mortality 
than the national average; 
2.  The degree to which the age of Maine's population and genetics contribute to the 
high incidence of cancer; 
3.  The degree to which environmental factors, such as air, water and land pollution, 
geography, and natural cancer-causing agents, such as radon and arsenic, contribute to 
Maine's cancer rate; 
4.  The extent to which barriers to health care in the State contribute to cancer 
mortality; 
5.   How preventable lifestyle risk factors, such as smoking, diet, exercise, obesity 
and sun exposure, contribute to the high incidence of cancer; and 
6.   How the State could assist citizens through education and cancer prevention 
programs; and be it further 
Sec. 4.  Report.  Resolved:  That, by January 15, 2014, the department shall 
produce a written report in a distributable format of the findings of the task force and any 
recommendations resulting from the study, which must be available to any party by 
request, and the department shall publish and post the report on its publicly accessible 
website. 
SUMMARY 
This resolve directs the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a task 
force to study the high incidence of cancer in the State, ways to lower the incidence of 
cancer and how the State can assist its citizens through education and prevention 
programs.  The department is directed to invite interested parties to serve on the task 
force and to make its findings available to the public in distributable format and online.