2025 -- H 6342
========
LC002852
========
S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
____________
H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
PROCLAIMING THE MONT H OF MAY TO BE "ASTHMA AND ALLERGY AWAREN ESS
MONTH" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
Introduced By: Representatives Edwards, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Chippendale,
Bennett, Ackerman, Ajello, Shallcross Smith, Fogarty, and Fellela
Date Introduced: May 15, 2025
Referred To: House read and passed
WHEREAS, Approximately 4.9 million children in the United States currently have 1
asthma; and 2
WHEREAS, Nearly 28 million people in the United States, have asthma and the numbers 3
are increasing each year; and 4
WHEREAS, Nearly 125,000 adults and children in Rhode Island have asthma; and 5
WHEREAS, Providence ranks 10th in the nation as the most challenging city to live in 6
with asthma by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America; and 7
WHEREAS, Asthma is one of the most common noncommunicable diseases among 8
children; and 9
WHEREAS, 1.5 million individuals per year visit emergency departments because of 10
asthma's effects; and 11
WHEREAS, Asthma is a leading cause of hospitalizations and school absences due to a 12
chronic disease among children; and 13
WHEREAS, The total economic cost of asthma in the United States was $81,900,000,000 14
per year from 2008 to 2013; and 15
WHEREAS, Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous individuals in the United States face the 16
highest burden of asthma; and 17
WHEREAS, Asthma is a manageable disease that claimed the lives of over 3,500 people 18
in the United States in 2021; and 19
LC002852 - Page 2 of 2
WHEREAS, People with asthma and food allergies need access to affordable health 1
insurance and to the medications and devices they need at affordable prices; and 2
WHEREAS, 20,300,000 people in the United States have food allergies, including 3
approximately 4,300,000 children; 4
WHEREAS, Food allergies have increased among U.S. children over the past 20 years, 5
with the greatest increase in Black children; and 6
WHEREAS, Children with food allergies are two to four times more likely to have 7
asthma or other allergic diseases; now, therefore be it 8
RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby 9
proclaims the Month of May to be "Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month" in the State of Rhode 10
Island. This House also urges the people of the State of Rhode Island to observe this month with 11
appropriate ceremonies and activities; and be it further 12
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 13
transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Kenneth Mendez, President and CEO of the 14
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). 15
========
LC002852
========