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Regular Session, 2014 ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 52
BY SENATOR CORTEZ AND REPRESENTATI VE STUART BISHOP
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To recognize May 2014 as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month and to
memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact legislation to provide
additional funding for research in order to find a treatment and cure for amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis.
WHEREAS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is more commonly known as Lou
Gehrig's disease; and
WHEREAS, ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by degeneration
of cell bodies of the lower motor neurons in the gray matter of the anterior horns of the
spinal cord; and
WHEREAS, the initial symptom of ALS is usually weakness of the skeletal muscles,
especially those of the extremities; and
WHEREAS, as ALS progresses, the patient typically experiences difficulty in
swallowing, talking, and breathing; and
WHEREAS, ALS eventually causes muscles to atrophy and the patient becomes a
functional quadriplegic; and
WHEREAS, ALS does not affect mental capacity of the patient, such that the patient
remains alert and aware of surroundings and aware of the loss of motor functions and the
inevitable outcome of continued deterioration and death; and
WHEREAS, on average, patients diagnosed with ALS survive only two to five years
from the time of diagnosis; and
WHEREAS, despite the catastrophic consequences of a diagnosis of ALS, the disease
currently has no known cause, means of protection, or cure; and
WHEREAS, research indicates that military veterans are at a sixty percent greater
risk of developing ALS than those who have not served in the military; and SCR NO. 52 ENROLLED
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WHEREAS, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs has promulgated
regulations to establish a presumption of service connection for ALS thereby presuming that
the development of ALS was incurred or aggravated by a veteran's service in the military;
and
WHEREAS, a national ALS registry, administered by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, is currently identifying cases of ALS in the United States and may
become the largest ALS research project ever undertaken; and
WHEREAS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month increases the
awareness of the circumstances of living with ALS and acknowledges the terrible impact this
disease has not only on the patient, but also on the family and community of anyone
receiving such a diagnosis; and
WHEREAS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month also increases
awareness of research being done to eradicate this dire disease.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
recognize May 2014 as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact legislation to provide additional
funding for research in order to find a treatment and cure for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
secretary of the United States Senate and the clerk of the United States House of
Representatives and to each member of the Louisiana delegation to the United States
Congress.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES