(1) Breast cancer is a significant threat to the health of women. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women and causes the death of a woman in the United States every twelve (12) minutes;

(2) The incidence of breast cancer continues to increase at a dramatic rate. During the past decade, the incidence has increased by thirty percent (30%). In 1960, one (1) woman in twenty (20) developed breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. By 1992, the probability had increased to one (1) woman in eight (8). At the current rate of increase, in the year 2000, one (1) woman in six (6) will develop breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. Presently, breast cancer claims the lives of over four hundred seventy (470) women in Arkansas each year;

(3) Breast cancer exacts an enormous economic toll on our society, including over two billion dollars ($2,000,000,000) in direct medical costs, and over eight billion dollars ($8,000,000,000) in both direct medical and indirect costs;

(4) Medical experts still do not know the cause of breast cancer or how to prevent breast cancer;

(5) The State of Arkansas must take the lead in combatting the increasingly rapid spread of breast cancer and the current lack of knowledge with respect to breast cancer's cause and cure and effective methods of prevention; and

(6) It is the intent of the General Assembly in enacting this act to fund essential research and services with respect to the cause, cure, detection and prevention of breast cancer, and breast cancer education.