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District Of Columbia Council Bill CER26-0015

District Of Columbia 2025-2026 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill CER26-0015 Compare Versions

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1- ENROLLED ORIGINAL
1+
22 1
3-
4-
5-A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
6-
7-
8-26-15
9-
10-
11-IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
12-
13-
14-March 4, 2025
15-To declare the month of March 2025 as “Autoimmune Awareness Month” in the District of
16-Columbia, and to support efforts to increase awareness of autoimmune diseases and increase funding for autoimmune disease research.
17-
18-WHEREAS, researchers have identified the category of autoimmune diseases includes
19-more than 100 diseases that are chronic and in many cases debilitating, with no known cures;
20- WHEREAS, autoimmune diseases can affect any part of the body, including the blood,
21-blood vessels, muscles, nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, endocrine glands, and multiple-
22-organ system, and can be life-threatening;
23- WHEREAS, researchers have identified a close genetic relationship and a common
24-pathway of disease that exists among autoimmune diseases, explaining the clustering of autoimmune diseases in individuals and families;
25- WHEREAS, the family of autoimmune diseases is underrecognized and poses a major
26-healthcare challenge to the United States;
27- WHEREAS, the National Institutes of Health estimates that autoimmune diseases afflict
28-up to 50,000 people in the United States, 80 percent of whom are women, and the prevalence of autoimmune diseases is rising;
29-
30-WHEREAS, autoimmune diseases are among the top 10 leading causes of death in women
31-under age 65;
32- WHEREAS, autoimmune diseases frequently affect children and young adults, leading to
33-a lifetime of disability;
34-
35-WHEREAS, diagnostic tests for most autoimmune diseases are not standardized, making
36-autoimmune diseases very difficult to diagnose;
37-
38- ENROLLED ORIGINAL
3+___________________________ ______________________________ 1
4+Chairman Phil Mendelson Councilmember Charles Allen 2
5+ 3
6+ 4
7+___________________________ ______________________________ 5
8+Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie Councilmember Matthew Frumin 6
9+ 7
10+ 8
11+___________________________ ______________________________ 9
12+Councilmember Christina Henderson Councilmember Janeese Lewis George 10
13+ 11
14+ 12
15+___________________________ ______________________________ 13
16+Councilmember Anita Bonds Councilmember Brooke Pinto 14
17+ 15
18+ 16
19+___________________________ ______________________________ 17
20+Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. Councilmember Zachary Parker 18
21+ 19
22+ 20
23+ 21
24+A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION 22
25+ 23
26+_____ 24
27+ 25
28+ 26
29+IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 27
30+ 28
31+__________ 29
32+ 30
33+ 31
34+To declare the month of March 2025 as “Autoimmune Awareness Month” in the District of 32
35+Columbia, and to support efforts to increase awareness of autoimmune diseases and 33
36+increase funding for autoimmune disease research. 34
37+ 35
38+WHEREAS, researchers have identified the category of autoimmune diseases includes 36
39+more than 100 diseases that are chronic and in many cases debilitating, with no known cures; 37
40+ 38
41+WHEREAS, autoimmune diseases can affect any part of the body, including the blood, 39
42+blood vessels, muscles, nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, endocrine glands, and multiple-40
43+organ system, and can be life-threatening; 41
44+ 42
45+WHEREAS, researchers have identified a close genetic relationship and a common 43
46+pathway of disease that exists among autoimmune diseases, explaining the clustering of 44
47+autoimmune diseases in individuals and families; 45
3948 2
40-
41-
42-WHEREAS, because autoimmune diseases are difficult to diagnose, treatment is often
43-delayed, sometimes resulting in irreparable damage and unnecessary suffering, which underscores
44-the importance of early diagnoses and treatment;
45-
46-WHEREAS, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies reported that the United
47-States is behind other countries in research into immune system self-recognition, which is the cause
48-of autoimmune diseases;
49-
50-WHEREAS, there is a significant need for research focusing on the etiology of all
51-autoimmune-related diseases, to increase understanding of the root causes of these diseases rather
52-than treating the symptoms after the disease has had its destructive effect;
53-
54-WHEREAS, the National Coalition of Autoimmune Patient Groups is a coalition of
55-national organizations focused on autoimmune diseases working to consolidate the voices of
56-patients with autoimmune diseases and to promote increased education, awareness, and research
57-into all aspects of autoimmune diseases through a collaborative approach; and
58-
59-WHEREAS, designating the month of March 2025 as “Autoimmune Awareness Month”
60-would help educate the public about autoimmune diseases and the need for research funding,
61-accurate diagnosis, and effective treatments.
62-
63- RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, T hat this
64-resolution may be cited as the “Autoimmune Awareness Month Recognition Resolution of 2025”.
65-
66- Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia declares the month of March 2025 as
67-“Autoimmune Awareness Month” in the District of Columbia and supports efforts to increase
68-awareness of autoimmune diseases and increase funding for autoimmune disease research.
69-
70- Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
49+ 46
50+WHEREAS, the family of autoimmune diseases is underrecognized and poses a major 47
51+healthcare challenge to the United States; 48
52+ 49
53+WHEREAS, the National Institutes of Health estimates that autoimmune diseases afflict 50
54+up to 50,000 people in the United States, 80 percent of whom are women, and the prevalence of 51
55+autoimmune diseases is rising; 52
56+ 53
57+WHEREAS, autoimmune diseases are among the top 10 leading causes of death in women 54
58+under age 65; 55
59+ 56
60+WHEREAS, autoimmune diseases frequently affect children and young adults, leading to 57
61+a lifetime of disability; 58
62+ 59
63+WHEREAS, diagnostic tests for most autoimmune diseases are not standardized, making 60
64+autoimmune diseases very difficult to diagnose; 61
65+ 62
66+WHEREAS, because autoimmune diseases are difficult to diagnose, treatment is often 63
67+delayed, sometimes resulting in irreparable damage and unnecessary suffering, which underscores 64
68+the importance of early diagnoses and treatment; 65
69+ 66
70+WHEREAS, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies reported that the United 67
71+States is behind other countries in research into immune system self-recognition, which is the cause 68
72+of autoimmune diseases; 69
73+ 70
74+WHEREAS, there is a significant need for research focusing on the etiology of all 71
75+autoimmune-related diseases, to increase understanding of the root causes of these diseases rather 72
76+than treating the symptoms after the disease has had its destructive effect; 73
77+ 74
78+WHEREAS, the National Coalition of Autoimmune Patient Groups is a coalition of 75
79+national organizations focused on autoimmune diseases working to consolidate the voices of 76
80+patients with autoimmune diseases and to promote increased education, awareness, and research 77
81+into all aspects of autoimmune diseases through a collaborative approach; and 78
82+ 79
83+WHEREAS, designating the month of March 2025 as “Autoimmune Awareness Month” 80
84+would help educate the public about autoimmune diseases and the need for research funding, 81
85+accurate diagnosis, and effective treatments. 82
86+ 83
87+ RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 84
88+resolution may be cited as the “Autoimmune Awareness Month Recognition Resolution of 2025”. 85
89+ 86
90+ Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia declares the month of March 2025 as 87
91+“Autoimmune Awareness Month” in the District of Columbia and supports efforts to increase 88
92+awareness of autoimmune diseases and increase funding for autoimmune disease research. 89
93+ 3
94+ 90
95+ Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately. 91