TITLE: Honoring the March of Dimes Foundation on its 75th anniversary.

SUMMARY: Honoring the March of Dimes Foundation on its 75th anniversary.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, The March of Dimes Foundation is celebrating its 75th anniversary during 2013; and WHEREAS, Established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938, the original purpose of the March of Dimes was to fight polio, and it helped fund the development of two vaccines in the 1950s to safeguard individuals against the disease; following those successes, the organization shifted its focus to the prevention of birth defects in 1958; and WHEREAS, In the decades since, the March of Dimes has been a pioneer in the field, making groundbreaking advances in maternal and child health; the group's research has led to the discovery of lifesaving products and techniques such as surfactant therapy for premature infants and tests to identify birth defects; and WHEREAS, A longtime advocate for improved access to health care for women, children, and families, the March of Dimes has collaborated with elected officials in national and state government to realize progress in this area; in 2003, the group authored the Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers Who Deliver Infants Early (PREEMIE) Act, which became law in 2006; two years later, Congress passed the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act, and the March of Dimes worked to ensure that every state in the nation implemented the screening procedures detailed in the legislation; and WHEREAS, The March of Dimes sponsors numerous programs in Texas to support healthy pregnancies and infants; focusing on community engagement and information sharing, these worthy endeavors range from providing assistance to families with newborn children in intensive care units to funding scholarships for individuals pursuing careers in perinatal health care; and WHEREAS, For three quarters of a century, the March of Dimes and its dedicated volunteers have carried out important efforts to improve the health of individuals throughout the United States, and this admirable organization is sure to remain a positive force in the years ahead; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby honor the March of Dimes Foundation on its 75th anniversary and extend to the Texas chapter of the organization sincere best wishes for continued success. Crownover Straus M. Gonzalez of El Paso Oliveira Allen N. Gonzalez of El Paso Orr Alonzo Gooden Otto Alvarado Guerra Paddie Anchia Guillen Parker Anderson Gutierrez Patrick Ashby Harless Perez Aycock Harper-Brown Perry Bell Hernandez Luna Phillips Bohac Herrero Pickett Bonnen of Brazoria Hilderbran Pitts Bonnen of Galveston Howard Price Branch Huberty Raney Burkett Hughes Ratliff Burnam Hunter Raymond Button Isaac Reynolds Callegari Johnson Riddle Canales Kacal Ritter Capriglione Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar Carter King of Hemphill Rodriguez of Travis Clardy King of Parker Rose Coleman King of Taylor Sanford Collier King of Zavala Schaefer Cook Kleinschmidt Sheets Cortez Klick Sheffield of Bell Craddick Kolkhorst Sheffield of Coryell Creighton Krause Simmons Crownover Kuempel Simpson Dale Larson Smith Darby Laubenberg Smithee Davis of Dallas Lavender Springer J. Davis of Harris Leach Stephenson S. Davis of Harris Lewis Stickland Deshotel Longoria Strama Dukes Lozano Taylor Dutton Lucio III Thompson of Brazoria Eiland Marquez Thompson of Harris Elkins Martinez Toth Fallon Martinez Fischer Turner of Collin Farias McClendon Turner of Harris Farney Menendez Turner of Tarrant Farrar Miles Villalba Fletcher Miller of Comal Villarreal Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo Frank Moody Walle Frullo Morrison White Geren Munoz, Jr. Workman Giddings Murphy Wu Goldman Naishtat Zedler Gonzales Nevarez Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 268 was adopted by the House on February 13, 2013, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House