FIRSTREGULARSESSION
HOUSECONCURRENT
RESOLUTION NO.3
103RDGENERALASSEMBLY
INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVEMURRAY.
1653H.01I JOSEPHENGLER,ChiefClerk
ANACT
Relatingtosicklecellawarenessmonth.
BeitenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyofthestateofMissouri,asfollows:
WHEREAS,sicklecelldiseaseisagroupofgeneticredbloodcelldisordersthat
2includesicklecellanemia-aconditioninwhichtheredbloodcellsbecomehardandsticky
3andtakeonacurvedshape,likeasickle,makingithardforthemtomovethroughthe
4bloodstreamwhichcausesdamagetothebloodvesselsresultingincomplicationssuchas
5lung,spleen,kidney,orliverdamage,andstrokewhichleadstoseverepainanddisability;
6and
7
8 WHEREAS,sicklecelldiseaseisthemostcommonhereditaryhematologicdisorder
9intheworld,whichoccursinindividualswhoarebornwithtwosicklecellgenes,each
10inheritedfromoneparent.Thisaffectsapproximately100,000Americans;and
11
12 WHEREAS,2.5millionAmericansoroneoutofevery12AfricanAmericansand
13oneoutofevery100LatinosintheUnitedStateshaveonlyonesicklecellgenethatiscalled
14“sicklecelltrait”,andunlikemostpeoplewithsicklecelldisease,peoplewhohavesicklecell
15traitmayneverknowtheyhaveitandcanlivetheirentireliveswithoutcomplicationsfromit;
16and
17
18 WHEREAS,peoplewithsicklecelltraitshouldbeawareoftheirconditionforfamily
19planningpurposesbecausetheycanpassthegeneontotheirchildren.Ifbothparentshave
20sicklecelltrait,thereisagreaterchancethatoneormoreoftheirchildrenwillbebornwith
21sicklecelldisease;and
22 23 WHEREAS,thestateofMissouriprovidesnewbornscreeningtoallchildrenbornin
24thestatesince1989,whichincludestestsforsicklecelldiseaseandtrait,andthishasreduced
25thedeathrateforchildrenbornwithsicklecelldiseaseduetoearlierinterventions;and
26
27 WHEREAS,thereiscurrentlyonlyoneFDAapproveddrugforsicklecelldisease
28becausedevelopingnewmedicinesandothertreatmentoptionsisacomplexprocessthat
29involvesclinicaltrialstoexplorewhetheramedicalstrategy,treatment,ordeviceissafeand
30effective;and
31
32 WHEREAS,manybarriersexistthataccountforthelowrateofparticipationamong
33diversecommunities,includingpatientfearofexperimentationandlackofunderstandingor
34educationwithregardtotheimportanceofclinicaltrialsincreatingnewtreatmentsandcures;
35and
36
37 WHEREAS,SeptemberisrecognizednationwideasSickleCellAwarenessMonth:
38
39 NOWTHEREFORE BEITRESOLVEDthatthemembersoftheHouseof
40RepresentativesoftheOneHundredThirdGeneralAssembly,FirstRegularSession,the
41Senateconcurringtherein,herebydesignatethemonthofSeptemberasSickleCell
42AwarenessMonthinMissouri;and
43
44 BEITFURTHERRESOLVEDthattheGeneralAssemblyencouragesallcitizens
45ofthisstatetoparticipateinappropriateeventsandactivitiestoraiseawarenessaboutthe
46pervasivenessofthesicklecelltraitandavailableprogramsandscreenings;and
47
48 BEITFURTHERRESOLVEDthatthisresolutionbesenttotheGovernorforhis
49approvalorrejectionpursuanttotheMissouriConstitution.
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HCR3 2