PRINTER'S NO. 4010
No. 584 Session of 2000
INTRODUCED BY TULLI, ADOLPH, ALLEN, ARGALL, ARMSTRONG, BAKER,
BARD, BARRAR, BASTIAN, BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI, BELFANTI,
BROWNE, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPABIANCA, CAWLEY, CLARK, CLYMER,
L. I. COHEN, M. COHEN, CORRIGAN, COY, CURRY, DALEY, DeLUCA,
DEMPSEY, DERMODY, DeWEESE, FAIRCHILD, FICHTER, FORCIER,
FRANKEL, GRUCELA, HALUSKA, HARHAI, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, HESS,
HUTCHINSON, JOSEPHS, KENNEY, LAUGHLIN, LEDERER, MANDERINO,
MANN, MARSICO, McNAUGHTON, MELIO, R. MILLER, S. MILLER, ORIE,
PISTELLA, PLATTS, PRESTON, RAMOS, READSHAW, ROBERTS, ROHRER,
RUBLEY, SAYLOR, SCHRODER, SCHULER, SCRIMENTI, SHANER,
B. SMITH, STABACK, TANGRETTI, E. Z. TAYLOR, THOMAS, TIGUE,
TRAVAGLIO, TRUE, WILT, WOJNAROSKI, ZIMMERMAN, ZUG AND GEIST,
OCTOBER 3, 2000
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
OCTOBER 3, 2000
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating October 2000 as "Rett Syndrome Awareness Month" in
2 Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Rett syndrome is a neurological disorder that occurs
4 almost exclusively in girls in approximately one in every 10,000
5 births; and
6 WHEREAS, A child with Rett syndrome has an early period of
7 apparently normal development until six to 18 months of age and
8 then loses or never develops verbal communication skills and
9 purposeful use of hands, may have difficulty walking, breathing
10 and eating and may suffer seizures; and
11 WHEREAS, Rett syndrome is a fairly new disorder which was
12 first noted in Europe in the 1960's and discovered in the United
1 States in 1983; and
2 WHEREAS, In 1999, the cause of Rett Syndrome was identified
3 as a defect in the MECP gene on the X chromosome; and
4 WHEREAS, There are medical doctors who have little or no
5 knowledge of this disorder; and
6 WHEREAS, Rett syndrome is undiagnosed or most often
7 misdiagnosed as autism, cerebral palsy or nonspecific
8 developmental delay, thus preventing many families from
9 utilizing disability assistance programs; and
10 WHEREAS, With accurate diagnosis of Rett syndrome, the impact
11 can be lessened by therapies designed to improve communication
12 skills and slow the progression of motor disturbances; therefore
13 be it
14 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
15 month of October 2000 as "Rett Syndrome Awareness Month" in
16 Pennsylvania.
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