[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 361 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 361

 Expressing support for the designation of May 7 each year as ``Brain 
                       Donation Awareness Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 5, 2023

  Mr. Blumenauer (for himself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. DelBene, and Mr. 
 Bacon) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing support for the designation of May 7 each year as ``Brain 
                       Donation Awareness Day''.

Whereas hundreds of millions of Americans are currently living with disabling 
        and debilitating brain disorders;
Whereas an additional 1,200,000 people aged 18 years and older are diagnosed 
        annually with adult onset brain disease or disorders in the United 
        States;
Whereas neurological conditions impact Americans of all ages, but the risk of 
        neurodegenerative diseases increases dramatically with age;
Whereas the number of older Americans is growing rapidly, and more people will 
        be affected by neurodegenerative diseases in coming decades;
Whereas brain disease has a tremendous impact on individuals, families, and 
        society;
Whereas there is a critical need to improve the understanding of what causes 
        neurological diseases, including neurodegenerative, neurodevelopmental, 
        and psychiatric disorders, to develop new approaches for prevention and 
        treatment;
Whereas, in 2022, 6,500,000 Americans were estimated to be living with 
        Alzheimer's disease;
Whereas an estimated 1,200,000 people in the United States could be living with 
        Parkinson's disease by 2030;
Whereas about 1 in 6 children in the United States has 1 or more developmental 
        disabilities or other developmental delays;
Whereas serious mental illness is rising, with over 58,000,000 Americans 
        experiencing a mental illness in 2021;
Whereas 46,300,000 people aged 12 or older in the United States reported having 
        substance use disorder in 2021;
Whereas the underlying causes of most neurological conditions remain largely 
        unknown due to the vast complexity of the human brain;
Whereas through research, the underlying causes of a greater number of 
        neurological conditions can be understood;
Whereas the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of 
        Health (NIH) support research on new ways to treat, cure, and prevent 
        neurological conditions;
Whereas the Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research of the FDA 
        testified before Congress in 2021 that the field of neuroscience 
        requires more research to develop new, safe, and effective treatments;
Whereas the NIH and institutes within the NIH launched the Brain Research 
        Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative in 
        2013 and continue to partner with a number of Federal agencies and 
        private sector partners on the BRAIN Initiative;
Whereas the NIH-funded NeuroBioBank was established in September 2013 as a 
        national resource for investigators utilizing human post mortem brain 
        tissue and related biospecimens for their research to understand 
        conditions of the nervous system;
Whereas post mortem brain tissue is an irreplaceable resource in brain research;
Whereas there is a critical need to increase the availability of human diseased 
        and control brains and related biospecimens;
Whereas one brain can provide tissue for dozens, even hundreds, of neurological 
        studies;
Whereas communities of color and poverty are underrepresented and understudied 
        in neurological research;
Whereas through awareness, the public can be educated on how brain donation for 
        neuroscience research is not a routine part of organ donation or 
        anatomical body donation;
Whereas racial and ethnic minorities account for nearly 40 percent of the United 
        States population and their rates of inclusion in clinical trials range 
        from 2 to 16 percent;
Whereas disparities in health status are associated with differences in 
        socioeconomic status, whether measured by income, educational 
        achievement, or occupation;
Whereas minority and low-income communities are disproportionately impacted by 
        neurological conditions;
Whereas only 4 percent of all neurological disorder research contained in the 
        genome-wide association studies database of the National Human Genome 
        Research Institute includes minority participants;
Whereas racial and socioeconomic diversity is paramount among brain donors so 
        that research can investigate how and why neurological diseases and 
        disorders disproportionately affect minority and low-income communities;
Whereas the Brain Donor Project and the American Brain Coalition sponsor ``Brain 
        Donation Awareness Day'' in the United States and partner with many 
        other organizations to increase public awareness of neurological 
        conditions and the importance of brain research; and
Whereas ``Brain Donation Awareness Day'' is expected to be observed in the 
        United States for years to come, providing hope and information for 
        patients, caregivers, and families around the country: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the designation of ``Brain Donation Awareness 
        Day''; and
            (2) recognizes the importance of, with respect to 
        neurological conditions and disorders--
                    (A) improving awareness;
                    (B) research;
                    (C) supporting national efforts to develop 
                effective treatments, diagnostics, and cures;
                    (D) supporting national efforts to address the 
                urgent need for post mortem brain tissue, both control 
                and diseased; and
                    (E) educating on the importance of brain donation 
                to support national research efforts.
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