HR 1017

1 State of Arkansas
2 95th General Assembly
3 Fiscal Session, 2026  HR 1017
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5 By: Representative Painter
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8HOUSE RESOLUTION
9TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE MAY 2026 AS AMYOTROPHIC
10LATERAL SCLEROSIS AWARENESS MONTH IN THIS STATE.
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13Subtitle
14TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE MAY 2026 AS
15AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS AWARENESS
16MONTH IN THIS STATE.
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18WHEREAS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also commonly known as Lou
19 Gehrig's disease or ALS, is a fatal progressive neurodegenerative disease in
20 which a person's brain loses connection with his or her muscles, slowly
21 reducing a person's ability to walk, talk, eat, and eventually breathe; and
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23WHEREAS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis impacts not only the person
24 diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis but also their families and
25 communities; and
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27WHEREAS, thousands of new amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cases are
28 reported every year, and estimates show that every ninety (90) minutes,
29 someone is diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and someone passes
30 away from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; and
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32WHEREAS, on average, patients diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral
33 sclerosis survive only two (2) to four (4) years from the time of diagnosis;
34 and
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36WHEREAS, the exact causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are unknown,
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  HR1017
1 and there is no known cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; and
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3      WHEREAS, people who have served in the military are more likely to
4 develop amyotrophic lateral sclerosis than those with no history of military
5 service; and
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7      WHEREAS, securing access to new therapies, durable medical equipment,
8 and communication technologies upon lose of speech is of vital importance to
9 people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; and
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11      WHEREAS, clinical trials play a pivotal role in evaluating new
12 treatments, enhancing quality of life, and fostering assistive technologies
13 for those living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; and
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15      WHEREAS, the ALS Association is the largest philanthropic funder of
16 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis research globally and has committed more than
17 one hundred sixty-two million dollars ($162,000,000) to support more than six
18 hundred (600) projects across the United States and twenty (20) other
19 countries; and
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21      WHEREAS, the ALS Association is committed to make amyotrophic lateral
22 sclerosis livable and curable for everyone, everywhere by working in
23 communities to provide care services, equipment, advocacy, and research
24 support; and
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26      WHEREAS, efforts should continue to bring awareness to the community,
27 healthcare providers, caregivers, and the general public, and support should
28 be given to people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, their families
29 and caregivers, and healthcare providers who treat amyotrophic lateral
30 sclerosis; and
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32      WHEREAS, by recognizing May 2026 as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
33 Awareness Month, the House of Representatives provide an opportunity to
34 increase public awareness of the dire circumstances of people living with
35 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, acknowledge the terrible impact this disease
36 has on those individuals and their families and communities, and show support
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  HR1017
1 for research to eradicate this disease,
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3 NOW THEREFORE,
4 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL
5 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
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7      THAT the House of Representatives:
8(1)   Recognize and celebrate May 2026 as Amyotrophic Lateral
9 Sclerosis Awareness Month in Arkansas; and
10(2)   Encourage support of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis research,
11 advocate for increased funding, and stand in solidarity with those affected
12 by this relentless disease.
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