PRINTER'S NO. 641
No. 45 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY L. I. COHEN, O'BRIEN, ADOLPH, ARGALL, BAKER, BARD,
BATTISTO, BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI, BELFANTI, CAPPABIANCA,
CIVERA, CLARK, CLYMER, COLAFELLA, CORRIGAN, CURRY, DAILEY,
DALLY, DeLUCA, DEMPSEY, DERMODY, DONATUCCI, FAIRCHILD, FARGO,
FICHTER, FLEAGLE, FORCIER, GEIST, GEORGE, GIGLIOTTI, GRUCELA,
HALUSKA, HARHAI, HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HERSHEY, HESS, HORSEY,
HUTCHINSON, JOSEPHS, KAISER, KENNEY, KIRKLAND, LAUGHLIN,
LEDERER, LYNCH, MAHER, MAITLAND, MAJOR, MANDERINO, MARKOSEK,
MARSICO, MASLAND, WASHINGTON, McCALL, McNAUGHTON, MELIO,
MICOZZIE, S. MILLER, MUNDY, NAILOR, ORIE, PESCI, PETRONE,
PHILLIPS, PIPPY, RAMOS, READSHAW, ROBERTS, ROSS, RUBLEY,
SAINATO, SANTONI, SATHER, SCHRODER, SCHULER, SCRIMENTI,
SERAFINI, SEYFERT, SHANER, B. SMITH, STABACK, STAIRS,
E. Z. TAYLOR, J. TAYLOR, TIGUE, TRAVAGLIO, TRELLO, TRUE,
VAN HORNE, VANCE, WALKO, WILLIAMS, WILT, WOJNAROSKI,
YOUNGBLOOD, ZIMMERMAN AND ZUG, FEBRUARY 22, 1999
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
FEBRUARY 22, 1999
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating April 1999 as "Autism Awareness Month" in
2 Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, An Autism State-of-the-Science Conference held by
4 the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at the request of the
5 Congress of the United States found that autism, a neurological
6 disorder of communication, behavior and movement, is a pressing
7 public health problem that merits the best efforts of public and
8 private agencies in both research and services; and
9 WHEREAS, Approximately 26,140 Pennsylvanians have autism,
10 according to the empirically substantiated estimate of the
1 prevalence of autism spectrum disorders by the Working Group on
2 Epidemiology of this NIH Autism State-of-the-Science Conference;
3 and
4 WHEREAS, Autism, once thought to be rare, is now known to be
5 one of the most common of the developmental disorders; and
6 WHEREAS, The social, emotional and financial costs to
7 individuals with autism, their families and to Federal and State
8 agencies are staggering; and
9 WHEREAS, Awareness among all Pennsylvanians of the great
10 urgency of this problem will help support the search for
11 remedies; therefore be it
12 RESOLVED, That April 1999 be designated "Autism Awareness
13 Month" in Pennsylvania and that the National Institutes of
14 Health be commended and encouraged in their efforts to help
15 solve the puzzle of autism.
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