SR 287

UNOFFICIAL COPY  26 RS BR 2626
1A RESOLUTION designating May as Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month.
2WHEREAS, nearly 28 million people in the United States suffer from asthma,
3 including over 465,000 adults and children in Kentucky; and
4WHEREAS, asthma is one of the most common noncommunicable diseases among
5 children, with about 4.75 million children in the United States suffering from it; and
6WHEREAS, nationally, one million individuals per year visit emergency
7 departments because of asthma's effects; and
8WHEREAS, asthma is a leading cause of hospitalizations and chronic disease
9 related school absences among children; and
10WHEREAS, the total economic cost of asthma in the United States from 2008 to
11 2013 was $81.9 billion, which is approximately $115 billion when adjusted for inflation;
12 and
13WHEREAS, Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous individuals in the United States have
14 a relatively higher incidence of asthma; and
15WHEREAS, asthma is a manageable disease that has unnecessarily claimed the
16 lives of over 3,100 people in the United States in 2023, including 31 people in Kentucky;
17 and
18WHEREAS, 21.8 million people in the United States suffer from food allergies,
19 including about 3.9 million children; and
20WHEREAS, food allergies have increased among children in the United States over
21 the past 20 years, with the greatest increase among Black children; and
22WHEREAS, children with food allergies are two to four times more likely to have
23 asthma or other allergic diseases; and
24WHEREAS, people with asthma and food allergies need access to affordable health
25 insurance, medications, and medical devices to live a normal, healthy life;
26NOW, THEREFORE,
27 Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of
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UNOFFICIAL COPY  26 RS BR 2626
1 Kentucky:
2Section 1. The members of the Kentucky Senate hereby proclaim the month of
3 May 2026 as Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month.
4Section 2. The members of the Kentucky Senate encourage the citizens of the
5 Commonwealth to support, promote, and participate in appropriate ceremonies and
6 activities raising awareness of asthma and allergies.
7Section 3.      The Clerk of the Senate is directed to transmit a copy of this
8 Resolution to Senator Stephen Meredith for delivery.
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