Bill Text: TX HCR117 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Designating September as Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month for a 10-year period beginning in 2019.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2019-06-14 - Signed by the Governor [HCR117 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HCR117-Enrolled.html
H.C.R. No. 117 |
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WHEREAS, Sickle cell disease is a hereditary genetic mutation | ||
that causes the body to produce red blood cells with an abnormal | ||
crescent shape, resulting in impeded blood flow and a shortage of | ||
healthy red blood cells; and | ||
WHEREAS, According to the United States Centers for Disease | ||
Control and Prevention, sickle cell disease affects approximately | ||
100,000 Americans; the condition is far more common among black or | ||
African Americans, occurring in about 1 out of every 365 | ||
individuals, and the sickle cell trait is present in 1 in every 13 | ||
black or African American infants at birth; around 1 in every 16,300 | ||
Hispanic American newborns also suffers from the condition; and | ||
WHEREAS, Although most Americans with the sickle cell trait | ||
live normal lives with few complications, sickle cell disease can | ||
potentially lead to anemia, infections, chronic pain, deep vein | ||
thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and stroke; because severe cases | ||
can be life-threatening, it is imperative that affected individuals | ||
have ready access to comprehensive medical care; sadly, inadequate | ||
infrastructure and socioeconomic factors are responsible for | ||
considerable disparities in health outcomes for sickle cell | ||
patients; and | ||
WHEREAS, The Sickle Cell Anemia Control Act, which was signed | ||
into law by President Richard Nixon in 1972, aimed to "reverse the | ||
record of neglect of the dreaded disease" by increasing funding for | ||
sickle cell disease-related programs; National Sickle Cell Anemia | ||
Awareness Month was officially recognized by the federal government | ||
under the administration of President Ronald Reagan in 1983, and | ||
additional legislative acts focused on advancing the treatment, | ||
detection, and study of the disease were passed in 2003 and 2018; | ||
and | ||
WHEREAS, At this time, there is still no widely available or | ||
universal cure for sickle cell disease, but researchers are | ||
currently working to identify new treatments; greater public | ||
support remains an important tool in the fight against this | ||
debilitating disorder, and Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month in | ||
September serves as an opportunity to unite Texans around the goal | ||
of ensuring that all people with the condition are afforded the care | ||
that they need; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the 86th Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
hereby designate September as Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month; | ||
and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That in accordance with the provisions of Section | ||
391.004(d), Government Code, this designation remain in effect | ||
until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally | ||
passed by the legislature. | ||
Johnson of Harris | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.C.R. No. 117 was adopted by the House on May | ||
3, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 140, Nays 1, 2 present, not | ||
voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.C.R. No. 117 was adopted by the Senate on May | ||
22, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: __________________ | ||
Date | ||
__________________ | ||
Governor |