Bill Text: IL SR0218 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Declares the week of March 10 through March 16, 2019 as Illinois Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week. Encourages municipalities and media organizations to participate in Illinois Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week. Recognizes those living with MS, their families, and the healthcare professionals and medical researchers who provide assistance to those affected by MS.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2019-03-19 - Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Jim Oberweis [SR0218 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2019-SR0218-Introduced.html
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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, Multiple sclerosis (MS) can impact individuals of | ||||||
3 | all ages, races, and ethnicities but is at least two to three | ||||||
4 | times more common in women than in men; and
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5 | WHEREAS, There are approximately 2,300,000 individuals | ||||||
6 | worldwide who have been diagnosed with MS; and
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7 | WHEREAS, In a study presented in October 2017 by the | ||||||
8 | European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple | ||||||
9 | Sclerosis, preliminary results from leading experts estimate | ||||||
10 | nearly one million people are living with MS in the United | ||||||
11 | States alone, which is more than twice the previously reported | ||||||
12 | number of 400,000; and
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13 | WHEREAS, The Greater Illinois Chapter of the National | ||||||
14 | Multiple Sclerosis Society shows 18,365 persons living with MS, | ||||||
15 | and, as not all people register with the Society, the true | ||||||
16 | number of persons living with MS in this area is higher; and
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17 | WHEREAS, In Illinois, the Department of Public Health | ||||||
18 | collaborates with community partners to improve the health of | ||||||
19 | people at risk for, or affected by, MS; and
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20 | WHEREAS, MS is typically diagnosed in individuals between |
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1 | the ages of 20 and 50, but it is estimated that between 8,000 | ||||||
2 | and 10,000 children and adolescents are living with MS in the | ||||||
3 | United States; and
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4 | WHEREAS, MS is an unpredictable and often disabling disease | ||||||
5 | of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of | ||||||
6 | information within the brain and between the brain and the | ||||||
7 | body; and
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8 | WHEREAS, Symptoms of MS range from numbness and tingling to | ||||||
9 | vision problems and paralysis, and the progress, severity, and | ||||||
10 | specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be | ||||||
11 | predicted; and
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12 | WHEREAS, While there is no evidence that MS is directly | ||||||
13 | inherited, studies show that there are genetic and | ||||||
14 | environmental factors that give certain individuals a higher | ||||||
15 | risk of developing MS; and
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16 | WHEREAS, The exact cause of MS is still unknown, and there | ||||||
17 | is no cure for MS; and
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18 | WHEREAS, The Multiple Sclerosis Coalition, a national | ||||||
19 | network of independent MS organizations dedicated to the | ||||||
20 | enhancement of the quality of life of individuals affected by | ||||||
21 | MS, recognizes and supports Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week; |
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1 | and
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2 | WHEREAS, The mission of the Multiple Sclerosis Coalition is | ||||||
3 | to increase opportunities for cooperation and to provide | ||||||
4 | greater opportunity to leverage the effective use of resources | ||||||
5 | for the benefit of the MS community; and
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6 | WHEREAS, In 2012, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society | ||||||
7 | was a founding member of the International Progressive MS | ||||||
8 | Alliance, which coordinates research to accelerate the | ||||||
9 | development of treatments for progressive MS by removing | ||||||
10 | international scientific and technological barriers, and, as | ||||||
11 | of 2018, includes 17 MS organizations from 17 countries, nine | ||||||
12 | foundation and trust members, and seven pharmaceutical | ||||||
13 | partners; and
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14 | WHEREAS, The Multiple Sclerosis Coalition recognizes and | ||||||
15 | supports Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week during March of | ||||||
16 | every calendar year; and
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17 | WHEREAS, The goals of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week are | ||||||
18 | to invite people to join the movement to end MS, to encourage | ||||||
19 | everyone to do something to demonstrate a commitment to moving | ||||||
20 | toward a world free of MS, and to acknowledge those who have | ||||||
21 | dedicated time and talent to help promote MS research and | ||||||
22 | programs; and
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1 | WHEREAS, Building awareness is a year-round effort, and MS | ||||||
2 | Awareness Week serves as a platform for everyone affected by MS | ||||||
3 | across the country to share strategies and experiences to live | ||||||
4 | their best lives in the belief that together we are stronger; | ||||||
5 | and
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6 | WHEREAS, In 2019, Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week is | ||||||
7 | recognized during the week of March 10 through March 16; | ||||||
8 | therefore, be it
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9 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | ||||||
10 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare the week of | ||||||
11 | March 10 through March 16, 2019 as Illinois Multiple Sclerosis | ||||||
12 | Awareness Week; and be it further
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13 | RESOLVED, That we support the goals and ideals of Multiple | ||||||
14 | Sclerosis Awareness Week and encourage municipalities to | ||||||
15 | support the goals and ideals of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness | ||||||
16 | Week by issuing proclamations designating Multiple Sclerosis | ||||||
17 | Awareness Week; and be it further
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18 | RESOLVED, That we encourage media organizations to | ||||||
19 | participate in Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week to help | ||||||
20 | provide education to the public about multiple sclerosis; and | ||||||
21 | be it further
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1 | RESOLVED, That we encourage residents to help ensure that | ||||||
2 | more people understand what life with MS can be like by sharing | ||||||
3 | the stories of those living with MS on social media and by | ||||||
4 | using the hashtag #ThisIsMS; and be it further
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5 | RESOLVED, That we commend the efforts of municipalities to | ||||||
6 | support the goals and ideals of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness | ||||||
7 | Week and recognize and reaffirm the commitment of the State of | ||||||
8 | Illinois to ending MS by promoting awareness about individuals | ||||||
9 | that are affected by MS and supporting MS research and | ||||||
10 | education programs; and be it further
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11 | RESOLVED, That we recognize all individuals living with MS | ||||||
12 | and express gratitude to the family members and friends of | ||||||
13 | individuals living with multiple sclerosis who are a source of | ||||||
14 | love and encouragement for those individuals, and we salute the | ||||||
15 | healthcare professionals and medical researchers who provide | ||||||
16 | assistance to individuals affected by MS; these professionals | ||||||
17 | continue to work to find ways to stop multiple sclerosis, to | ||||||
18 | restore what has been lost due to MS, and to end MS forever.
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