Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Existing law provides for programs administered by the State Department of Public Health for the prevention and treatment of various diseases. Existing law establishes the ALS/Lou Gehrig's Disease Research Fund and provides for the deposit of voluntary taxpayer contributions to be used by the department to provide research grants to develop and advance the understanding, techniques, and modalities effective in the prevention, treatment, and cure of ALS. This bill would request that the Regents of the University of California establish and administer the California ALS Disease Team with the goal of promoting and conducting scientific research on ALS and developing effective treatments and diagnostics. This bill would require the Secretary of California Health and Human Services to be responsible for oversight and coordination of programs serving people with ALS and their families, would require the secretary to establish an ALS Advisory Committee, and would set forth the membership and duties of the committee.