Bill Text: NY J00992 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim September 24-October 1, 2023, as Frontotemporal Degeneration Awareness Week in the State of New York

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 42-21)

Status: (Passed) 2023-05-16 - ADOPTED [J00992 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-J00992-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 992

BY: Senator HINCHEY

        MEMORIALIZING  Governor  Kathy  Hochul to proclaim
        September  24-October  1,  2023,  as  Frontotemporal
        Degeneration Awareness Week in the State of New York

  WHEREAS,  It  is  the  custom  of this Legislative Body to recognize
official weeks that are set  aside  to  increase  awareness  of  serious
health  conditions  that affect the lives of citizens of New York State;
and

  WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern  and  in  full  accord  with  its
long-standing  traditions,  it  is the sense of this Legislative Body to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim  September  24-October  1,
2023,  as Frontotemporal Degeneration Awareness Week in the State of New
York, in conjunction with the observance of World  FTD  Awareness  Week;
and

  WHEREAS,   Frontotemporal  Degeneration  (FTD)  is  a  terminal  and
incurable brain disease affecting the frontal and temporal lobes causing
impairments to speech, personality, behavior and motor skills; and

  WHEREAS, FTD usually strikes people in their 40s to  60s,  rendering
people in the prime of life unable to work or function normally; and

  WHEREAS,  FTD  represents  an  estimated  five  to 15 percent of all
dementia cases and is the most common form of dementia for people  under
the age of 60; and

  WHEREAS, FTD is often misdiagnosed as a psychiatric problem or other
neurodegenerative  disease  because  of  the wide range of cognitive and
behavioral symptoms and their young onset; and

  WHEREAS, FTD imposes average annual costs associated with  care  and
living   with  the  disease  that  are  approximately  double  those  of
Alzheimer's disease; and

  WHEREAS, FTD often affects a person's ability  to  express  emotions
show affection and empathy for loved ones; and

  WHEREAS,  In  the  behavioral  variant  of  FTD, a person's sense of
social  graces  and  appropriate  behavior  can  be  lost,   and   their
personality may be significantly changed; and

  WHEREAS,  Furthermore,  in  the  language  variants  of FTD (primary
progressive aphasia), a person may have  trouble  producing  speech  and
understanding  grammar,  lose the meaning of words or become hesitant in
their speech and may eventually become mute; and

  WHEREAS, In the movement variants of FTD, a  person  may  experience
muscle  weakness,  falling,  loss  of balance, difficulty making speech,
difficulty swallowing, and/or choking; and

  WHEREAS, While there has never been a global epidemiology  study  of
FTD,  it is estimated that between 50,000 and 60,000 people are affected
in the United States today; and

  WHEREAS,  It  is  imperative that there be greater awareness of this
serious disease, and more must be  done  to  increase  activity  at  the
local, State and National levels; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim  September  24-October  1,
2023,  as Frontotemporal Degeneration Awareness Week in the State of New
York; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted  to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York.