[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 84 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 84

  To designate the month of May 1999, as ``National Alpha<INF>1</INF> 
                           Awareness Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 26, 1999

Ms. Snowe (for herself, Mr. Helms, Mr. Grams, Mr. Robb, Mr. Durbin, Mr. 
 Edwards, Mr. Cleland, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Torricelli, Mr. Mack, Mr. Crapo, 
   Mr. Graham, Mr. Lautenberg, and Mr. Dodd) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 



  To designate the month of May 1999, as ``National Alpha<INF>1</INF> 
                           Awareness Month''.

Whereas alpha<INF>1</INF>-antitrypsin deficiency (A1AD) is the most common 
        lethal single gene defect in the United States;
Whereas A1AD, having been identified only since 1963, is as common as cystic 
        fibrosis, but is neither well known, nor well understood by many 
        physicians and is virtually unknown by the general public;
Whereas A1AD is seen as a liver disease in infants and young children, as a lung 
        or liver disease in young adults, and may be misdiagnosed as asthma, 
        chronic bronchitis or smoker's emphysema due to lack of knowledge or 
        understanding about this disease;
Whereas A1AD is particularly devastating to families since it strikes during the 
        peak earning and child rearing years;
Whereas 80,000 to 100,000 persons in the United States are affected by the 
        disease while only 5 percent have been identified; and
Whereas liver and lung transplants are sought by many individuals suffering from 
        A1AD, detection screenings, educational conferences and other scheduled 
        events will help raise awareness for early identification and organ 
        donation: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates the month of May 1999 as ``National Alpha<INF>1</INF> 
        Awareness Month''; and
            (2) requests that the President issue a proclamation calling upon 
        the people of the United States to observe the month with appropriate 
        programs and activities.
                                 <all>