117 HRES 742 IH: Supporting the designation of October 23, 2021, as “AADC Deficiency Awareness Day”. U.S. House of Representatives 2021-10-22 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV117th CONGRESS1st SessionH. RES. 742IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESOctober 22, 2021Mr. Murphy of North Carolina (for himself and Mr. Lynch) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and CommerceRESOLUTIONSupporting the designation of October 23, 2021, as AADC Deficiency Awareness Day.

Whereas a rare disease is a disease or disorder that affects a small number of patients, currently defined as a condition that affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States at any given time; Whereas there are more than 7,000 rare diseases that altogether affect an estimated 25,000,000 to 30,000,000 Americans; Whereas children make up more than half of the estimated 25,000,000 to 30,000,000 Americans living with a rare disease; Whereas Aromatic L-Amino Acid Decarboxylase (AADC) Deficiency is a genetic neurologic rare disease that severely debilitates a patient’s development, motor skills, growth, and cognitive and language skills and limits a patient’s life; Whereas AADC Deficiency results from an inherited genetic disease where patients lack the AADC enzyme required to create dopamine and, without dopamine, patients will never achieve motor milestones, such as holding their heads up, sitting, and standing, or develop the ability to communicate or perform basic life functions;Whereas patients are diagnosed with AADC Deficiency through genetic and other biochemical tests;Whereas patients suffering from AADC Deficiency often have unexplained low muscle tone and experience other symptoms like developmental delays and involuntary eye movements;Whereas AADC Deficiency affects approximately 1 in 100,000 people in the United States;Whereas AADC Deficiency is often mistaken for other diseases like cerebral palsy, epilepsy, or even autism;Whereas Congress can raise awareness of AADC Deficiency in the public and medical community in the United States;Whereas awareness of AADC Deficiency will help patients who may be experiencing the symptoms of AADC Deficiency recognize such disease and pursue appropriate treatment; andWhereas improved awareness and education around AADC Deficiency will increase medical representation for individuals suffering from AADC Deficiency: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives—(1)supports the designation of AADC Deficiency Awareness Day; and(2)recognizes the importance of, with respect to Aromatic L-Amino Acid Decarboxylase (AADC) Deficiency, improving awareness and education around AADC Deficiency.