Cancer treatment bill passes state Senate

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- The Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would create a breast and cervical cancer treatment program.<br><br>The bill has gone back to the House for final consideration.<br><br>Senator

Wednesday, April 14th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- The Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would create a breast and cervical cancer treatment program.

The bill has gone back to the House for final consideration.

Senator Debbe Leftwich says Oklahoma is the only state not using state funds to tap into federal dollars for treatment of breast and cervical cancer.

Her bill would create the Belle Maxine Hilliard Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Resolving Fund.

Representative Danny Hilliard has pushed for $1.5-million to start the program.

Leftwich says efforts are under way to place funding for the treatment in a budget reconciliation bill to be passed later in the session.

Oklahoma has had a federally funded breast and cervical cancer screening program since the mid-1990s and passed a treatment act in 2000, but never funded it.