PRINTER'S NO. 222
No. 51 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY MANN, BARRAR, BELFANTI, BENNINGHOFF, BEYER,
BIANCUCCI, BISHOP, BOYD, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CLYMER,
COHEN, CREIGHTON, CURRY, CUTLER, DALEY, DALLY, DeLUCA,
DONATUCCI, FABRIZIO, FAIRCHILD, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GEIST,
GEORGE, GIBBONS, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HARPER, HARRIS,
HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, HESS, JAMES, KILLION, KOTIK, LONGIETTI,
MAHONEY, MAJOR, MANTZ, MARKOSEK, MARSICO, McILHATTAN,
MILLARD, MUNDY, MUSTIO, NAILOR, M. O'BRIEN, PALLONE, PETRONE,
PHILLIPS, PICKETT, RAMALEY, RAPP, READSHAW, REICHLEY, ROHRER,
ROSS, RUBLEY, SAINATO, SAMUELSON, SANTONI, SCAVELLO,
SCHRODER, SIPTROTH, SOLOBAY, SONNEY, STABACK, STEIL, STERN,
SURRA, VULAKOVICH, WALKO, WANSACZ, J. WHITE, WOJNAROSKI AND
YOUNGBLOOD, FEBRUARY 5, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS,
FEBRUARY 5, 2007
A RESOLUTION
1 Recognizing the month of May 2007 as "Amyotrophic Lateral
2 Sclerosis Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania and urging the
3 President and Congress of the United States to enact
4 legislation to provide additional funding for research in
5 order to find a treatment and a cure for ALS.
6 WHEREAS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is better known
7 as Lou Gehrig's disease; and
8 WHEREAS, ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease
9 characterized by degeneration of cell bodies of the lower motor
10 neurons in the gray matter of the anterior horns of the spinal
11 cord; and
12 WHEREAS, The initial symptom of ALS is weakness of the
13 skeletal muscles, especially those of the extremities; and
1 WHEREAS, As ALS progresses, the patient experiences
2 difficulty in swallowing, talking and breathing; and
3 WHEREAS, ALS eventually causes muscles to atrophy, and the
4 patient becomes a functional quadriplegic; and
5 WHEREAS, ALS does not affect a patient's mental capacity, so
6 a patient remains alert and aware of the loss of motor functions
7 and the inevitable outcome of continued deterioration and death;
8 and
9 WHEREAS, ALS occurs in adulthood, most commonly between 40
10 and 70 years of age, with the peak at about 55 years of age, and
11 affects men two to three times more often than women; and
12 WHEREAS, More than 5,000 new ALS patients are diagnosed
13 annually; and
14 WHEREAS, On average, patients diagnosed with ALS survive
15 three to five years from the time of diagnosis; and
16 WHEREAS, ALS has no known cause, prevention or cure; and
17 WHEREAS, "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Awareness
18 Month" will increase public awareness of ALS patients'
19 circumstances, acknowledge the terrible impact this disease has
20 on patients and families and recognize the research for
21 treatment and cure of ALS; therefore be it
22 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
23 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania recognize the month of May 2007 as
24 "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Awareness Month" in
25 Pennsylvania; and be it further
26 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge the
27 President and Congress of the United States to enact legislation
28 to provide additional funding for ALS research; and be it
29 further
30 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
20070H0051R0222 - 2 -
1 the President of the United States, to the Vice President of the
2 United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
3 to the members of Congress from Pennsylvania and to the United
4 States Secretary of Health and Human Services.
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