[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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