WHEREAS, Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an under-recognized public health crisis. It is the progressive, gradual loss of kidney function that results in a decreased ability of the kidneys to remove waste from the body; and

WHEREAS, CKD affects more than one in seven United States adults, an estimated 35,500,000 people, and more than 4,400,000 adults in California are affected by CKD while nearly 4,000,000 adults remain unaware; and

WHEREAS, As many as 9 out of 10 people with CKD do not know they have the disease because it usually has no symptoms until the late stages; and

WHEREAS, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans are at high risk for developing kidney failure due to high rates of diabetes and high blood pressure in marginalized communities; and

WHEREAS, Less than 13 percent of people with CKD risk factors are tested appropriately; and

WHEREAS, More than 85,000 people have end-stage renal disease in California, and thousands of Californians are waiting for a lifesaving kidney transplant; and

WHEREAS, The five-year survival rate for a patient with end-stage renal disease remains dismally low, with roughly 60 percent of patients dying within five years; and

WHEREAS, Regular screening for, and early detection of, CKD allows opportunity for disease management that can slow the progression of kidney disease and help prevent kidney failure; and

WHEREAS, The month of March is designated as National Kidney Month, and March 12 is recognized as World Kidney Day to raise awareness of kidney disease and the importance of prevention and early detection; now, therefore, be it