BILL NUMBER: SCR 106 CHAPTERED BILL TEXT RESOLUTION CHAPTER 136 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE AUGUST 28, 2014 ADOPTED IN SENATE JUNE 23, 2014 ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 25, 2014 INTRODUCED BY Senator Fuller APRIL 1, 2014 Relative to Chiari Malformation Awareness Month. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SCR 106, Fuller. Chiari Malformation Awareness Month. This measure would declare the month of September 2014 as Chiari Malformation Awareness Month. WHEREAS, Chiari Malformation is a serious neurological disorder affecting more than 300,000 people in the United States. It was first identified by Austrian pathologist Professor Hans Chiari in the 1890' s and categorized into four types in order of severity; and WHEREAS, Chiari Malformation is a congenital malformation in which the bottom of the brain, known as the cerebellum, is crowded in the skull cavity and forces the lower tips of the cerebellar hemispheres, or tonsils, into the hole in the bottom of the skull, or foramen magnum; and WHEREAS, Chiari Malformations are defects in the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls balance. This creates pressure on the cerebellum and brain stem and may block the normal flow of cerebral spinal fluid to and from the brain; and WHEREAS, Symptoms usually appear during adolescence or early adulthood and can include severe head and neck pain, vertigo, muscle weakness, balance problems, blurred or double vision, difficulty swallowing, and sleep apnea; and WHEREAS, Individuals who have Chiari Malformation may often have related conditions, such as hydrocephalus, spina bifida, syringomyelia, tethered spinal cord syndrome, and spinal curvature; and WHEREAS, The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institute of Health is conducting research to find alternative surgical options and identify the cause of Chiari Malformations to create improved treatment and prevention plans; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the California Legislature declares September 2014 as Chiari Malformation Awareness Month; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.