Expressing support for the designation of October 17, 2019, as "National Vitiligo Awareness Day".

IV 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 636 Expressing support for the designation of October 17, 2019, as ‘‘National Vitiligo Awareness Day’’. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OCTOBER 17, 2019 Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia (for himself, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. RUSH, Ms. NORTON, Mr. CLAY, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. LEWIS, Mr. CLEAVER, Ms. SE- WELL of Alabama, Ms. MOORE, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Ms. JACK- SON LEE, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Ms. BASS, Mr. MEEKS, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Mr. LEVIN of Michigan, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. COX of California, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mrs. MCBATH, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. COHEN, Mr. HASTINGS, and Mr. RASKIN) submitted the following resolu- tion; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce RESOLUTION Expressing support for the designation of October 17, 2019, as ‘‘National Vitiligo Awareness Day’’. Whereas vitiligo is a long-term, chronic disorder that results in the loss of pigment in patches on the skin, hair, eyes, and inside of the mouth; Whereas the condition can result in discomfort, itching, and pain, but there is still no known cure; VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:31 Oct 18, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR636.IH HR636 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HRES 636 IH Whereas the American Academy of Dermatology refers to vit- iligo as a life-altering disorder that can cause low self-es- teem, anger, and depression; Whereas according to the American Academy of Derma- tology, about half of the individuals diagnosed with vit- iligo are diagnosed before the age of 21; Whereas a study by Pediatric Dermatology found that about half of all children and adolescents diagnosed with vitiligo experienced a decreased quality of life, and some individ- uals even experienced problems with schoolwork, in- creased bullying and teasing, trouble with developing friendships, and self-confidence issues; Whereas a Yale study found that bullied children are two to nine times more likely to consider suicide, and the CDC reports suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people; and Whereas Judith Porter, Ph.D., and Ann Beuf, Ph.D., found that social support for children and adolescents with vit- iligo provided by families, peers, charities, support groups, and teachers can greatly improve their quality of life and decrease stress related to bullying: Now, there- fore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) supports the designation of ‘‘National Vit- 2 iligo Awareness Day’’; and 3 (2) recognizes the importance of providing sup- 4 port for individuals diagnosed with vitiligo to im- 5 prove their quality of life. 6 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:31 Oct 18, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR636.IH HR636 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS