Louisiana House Bill HCR19

Louisiana 2016 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/21/16
• Engrossed: 3/21/16
• Passed: 3/23/16

Caption

Designates January thirty-first of each year as Omphalocele Awareness Day in Louisiana and commends the Mothers of Omphaloceles for their advocacy efforts

Impact

The establishment of Omphalocele Awareness Day serves to educate the public about this specific health issue, which is estimated to affect 1 in every 5,000 pregnancies for small omphaloceles and 1 in every 10,000 for larger variants. By recognizing January 31st as a day of awareness, the resolution hopes to foster increased support for affected families and highlight the ongoing advocacy by the Mothers of Omphaloceles, potentially improving healthcare awareness among practitioners and the general public.

Summary

House Concurrent Resolution 19 (HCR19) designates January 31st of each year as Omphalocele Awareness Day in Louisiana. The resolution aims to raise awareness about omphalocele, a birth defect that occurs early in pregnancy when the abdominal wall fails to close correctly, leading to the protrusion of some or all abdominal organs through the umbilical cord. This bill also seeks to commend the Mothers of Omphaloceles, a group dedicated to providing support and information to families affected by this condition.

Sentiment

Overall, the sentiment surrounding HCR19 was positive, with broad support from legislators for its educational and advocacy purposes. The resolution was passed unanimously in the Senate with a vote tally of 30 yeas and no nays. The support reflects a commitment from the legislative body to acknowledge and address significant health issues impacting families within the state.

Contention

Given that HCR19 is a concurrent resolution rather than a bill imposing regulations or funding, it does not face typical legislative contention. However, discussions around awareness day resolutions can sometimes arise in the context of prioritizing health issues among limited legislative time and resources. In this case, there were no notable points of contention, indicating a collective agreement on the importance of raising awareness for omphalocele.