HR 5380

                              SECOND REGULAR SESSION
                        HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
       HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 5380
                         103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
7547H.03C  JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
      WHEREAS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also commonly known as Lou Gehrig's
 2 disease, is a progressive fatal neurodegenerative disease in which a person's brain loses
 3 connection with his or her muscles, slowly reducing a person's ability to walk, talk, eat, and
 4 eventually breathe; and
5
6      WHEREAS, thousands of new amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cases are reported
 7 every year, and estimates show that every 90 minutes, someone is diagnosed with ALS and
 8 someone passes away from ALS; and
9
10      WHEREAS, on average, patients diagnosed with ALS survive only two to five years
11 from the time of diagnosis; and
12
13      WHEREAS, the exact causes of ALS are unknown and there is no known cure for
14 ALS; and
15
16      WHEREAS, people who have served in the military are more likely to develop ALS
17 and die from the disease than those with no history of military service; and
18
19      WHEREAS, securing access to new therapies, durable medical equipment, and
20 communication technologies is of vital importance to people living with ALS; and
21
22      WHEREAS, clinical trials play a pivotal role in evaluating new treatments,
23 enhancing quality of life, and fostering assistive technologies for those living with ALS; and
24
25      WHEREAS, the ALS Association is the largest philanthropic funder of ALS research
26 globally and has committed more than $154 million to support more than 550 projects across
27 the United States and 18 other countries; and
28
HCS HR 5380  2
29WHEREAS, the ALS Association is committed to make ALS livable and cure it for
30 everyone, everywhere; and
31
32WHEREAS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month provides an
33 opportunity to increase public awareness of the dire circumstances of people living with
34 ALS, acknowledge the terrible impact this disease has on those individuals and their families,
35 and support research to eradicate this disease;
36
37NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we, the members of the Missouri
38 House of Representatives, One Hundred Third General Assembly, Second Regular Session,
39 hereby proclaim the month of May 2026 as ALS Awareness Month and call upon all
40 Americans to join in supporting ALS research, advocating for increased funding, greater
41 access to assistive technology including augmentative and alternative communication
42 options, and standing in solidarity with those affected by this relentless disease.
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