IV

107TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. RES. 563

Expressing the sense of the House regarding the importance of bone marrow

donation, honoring the National Marrow Donor Program for its work

in increasing bone marrow donations, and supporting National Marrow

Awareness Month, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 26, 2002

Mr. YOUNG of Florida (for himself, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr.

FOLEY, Mr. CRANE, Mr. PENCE, Mr. BASS, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. MASCARA,

Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr.

BENTSEN, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. TOM DAVIS

of Virginia, Mr. WATKINS of Oklahoma, Mrs. MYRICK, Mr. CLAY, Mr.

CARDIN, Mr. SOUDER, and Mr. SUNUNU) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House regarding the importance

of bone marrow donation, honoring the National Marrow

Donor Program for its work in increasing bone marrow

donations, and supporting National Marrow Awareness

Month, and for other purposes.

Whereas each year an estimated 30,000 Americans are diagnosed with life-threatening diseases such as leukemia, for

which a marrow or blood stem cell transplant can be a

cure;
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•HRES 563 IH

Whereas when the National Marrow Donor Program was

founded in 1986, unrelated donor bone marrow transplantation was an investigational therapy with uncertain

benefits;

Whereas the National Marrow Donor Program is the international leader in marrow and blood stem cell transplantation;

Whereas the National Marrow Donor Program has facilitated

approximately 15,000 transplants relying on bone marrow donations from volunteer, unrelated individuals during the past 15 years;

Whereas the National Marrow Donor Program has actively

recruited a diverse registry of more than 4,000,000 potential volunteer marrow and blood stem cell donors and,

at any given time, offers hope to more than 3,000 patients searching its registry;

Whereas the National Marrow Donor Program has worked

diligently to increase the number of minority patients receiving transplants each year;

Whereas the National Marrow Donor Program plays an important role in the Nation’s defense by actively maintaining a contingency plan to assist the military in treating

victims of nuclear, chemical, and biological attacks;

Whereas the National Marrow Donor Program provides support for patients and physicians and conducts research

studies aimed at increasing opportunities for and improving outcomes of stem cell transplants; and

Whereas the National Marrow Donor Program and its national and international affiliates are joining together for

National Marrow Awareness Month in November to edu-
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•HRES 563 IH

cate Americans about the importance of becoming a marrow donor: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) encourages all Americans to learn about the importance of bone marrow donation and to become a bone

marrow donor by joining the National Marrow Donor

Program Registry;

(2) honors the National Marrow Donor Program for

its outstanding efforts during the past 15 years to educate Americans about the importance of donating bone

marrow, to support research to improve the outcomes of

bone marrow and related transplants, and to advocate

tirelessly for patients needing bone marrow transplants

and their donors;

(3) praises the National Marrow Donor Program

for its dedication to increasing the number and diversity

of bone marrow donors, which has tripled the number of

transplants performed on minority patients since 1995;

(4) commends the millions of Americans who have

already joined the National Marrow Donor Program

Registry; and

(5) supports the goals of National Marrow Awareness Month, especially efforts to increase the number of

minority donors and to educate Americans about bone

marrow donation and transplants.

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