Supports the designation of "ALS Awareness Month".

IV 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 374 Supports the designation of ‘‘ALS Awareness Month’’. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 9, 2023 Mr. CROW (for himself, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Ms. SEWELL, Mr. CALVERT, Mrs. LEE of Nevada, Mr. QUIGLEY, and Mr. BACON) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com- merce RESOLUTION Supports the designation of ‘‘ALS Awareness Month’’. Whereas amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (referred to in this pre- amble as ‘‘ALS’’) is a progressive neurodegenerative dis- ease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord; Whereas the life expectancy for an individual with ALS is be- tween 2 and 5 years after the date on which the indi- vidual receives an ALS diagnosis; Whereas ALS occurs throughout the world with no racial, ethnic, gender, or socioeconomic boundaries; Whereas ALS may affect any individual in any location; Whereas the cause of ALS is unknown in up to 90 percent of cases; VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:11 May 10, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR374.IH HR374 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HRES 374 IH Whereas approximately 10 percent of cases have a strong known genetic driver; Whereas, on average, the period between the date on which an individual first experiences symptoms of ALS and the date on which the individual is diagnosed with ALS is more than 1 year; Whereas the onset of ALS often involves muscle weakness or stiffness, and the progression of ALS results in the fur- ther weakening, wasting, and paralysis of— (1) the muscles of the limbs and trunk; and (2) the muscles that control vital functions, such as speech, swallowing, and breathing; Whereas ALS can strike individuals of any age but predomi- nantly strikes adults; Whereas it is estimated that tens of thousands of individuals in the United States have ALS at any given time; Whereas, based on studies of the population of the United States, more than 5,000 individuals in the United States are diagnosed with ALS each year, and 15 individuals in the United States are diagnosed with ALS each day; Whereas every 90 minutes an individual dies from ALS; Whereas the majority of individuals with ALS die of res- piratory failure; Whereas military veterans are more likely to be diagnosed with ALS than those with no history of military service; Whereas as of the date of introduction of this resolution, there is no cure for ALS; Whereas the spouses, children, and family members of indi- viduals living with ALS provide support to those individ- uals with love, day-to-day care, and more; and VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:11 May 10, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR374.IH HR374 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HRES 374 IH Whereas an individual with ALS, and the caregivers of such an individual, can be required to bear significant costs for medical care, equipment, and home care services for the individual as the disease progresses: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) supports the designation of ‘‘ALS Aware- 2 ness Month’’; 3 (2) affirms the dedication of the House of Rep- 4 resentatives to ensuring people with ALS have ac- 5 cess to effective treatments as soon as possible and 6 identifying risk factors and causes of ALS to pre- 7 vent new cases; 8 (3) affirms the dedication of the House of Rep- 9 resentatives to empowering people with ALS to en- 10 gage with the world in the way they want; 11 (4) affirms the dedication of the House of Rep- 12 resentatives to reducing physical, emotional, and fi- 13 nancial burdens of living with ALS; 14 (5) affirms the dedication of the House of Rep- 15 resentatives to ensuring all people with ALS and 16 their caregivers receive high-quality services and 17 supports that benefit them; and 18 (6) commends the dedication of the family 19 members, friends, organizations, volunteers, re- 20 searchers, and caregivers across the United States 21 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:11 May 10, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR374.IH HR374 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HRES 374 IH that are working to improve the quality and length 1 of life of ALS patients and the development of treat- 2 ments and cures that reach patients as soon as pos- 3 sible. 4 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:11 May 10, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR374.IH HR374 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB