III 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 434 

Supporting the designation of April 2016 as ‘‘Parkinson’s Awareness Month’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 20, 2016 

Ms. STABENOW (for herself and Mr. ISAKSON) submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the designation of April 2016 as ‘‘Parkinson’s 

Awareness Month’’. 

Whereas Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive neurological disease and is the second most common 

neurodegenerative disease in the United States; 

Whereas there is inadequate data on the incidence and prevalence of Parkinson’s disease, but the disease affects an 

estimated 500,000 to 1,500,000 individuals in the United 

States; 

Whereas according to the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention, Parkinson’s disease is the 14th leading cause 

of death in the United States; 

Whereas every day Parkinson’s disease greatly impacts millions of individuals in the United States who are careVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:49 Apr 21, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR434.ATS SR434

rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•SRES 434 ATS 

givers, family members, and friends of individuals with 

Parkinson’s disease; 

Whereas the economic burden of Parkinson’s disease is an estimated $14,400,000,000 each year, including indirect 

costs to patients and family members of $6,300,000,000 

each year; 

Whereas although research suggests that the cause of Parkinson’s disease is a combination of genetic and environmental factors, the exact cause and progression of the 

disease remains unknown; 

Whereas an objective test or biomarker for diagnosing Parkinson’s disease does not exist; 

Whereas a cure or drug to slow or halt the progression of 

Parkinson’s disease does not exist; 

Whereas the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease vary from person to person and include tremors, slowness of movement, rigidity, difficulty with balance, swallowing, chewing, and speaking, cognitive impairment, dementia, mood 

disorders, and a variety of other nonmotor symptoms; 

Whereas volunteers, researchers, caregivers, and medical professionals are working to improve the quality of life for 

individuals with Parkinson’s disease and the families of 

those individuals; and 

Whereas developing more effective treatments for Parkinson’s 

disease and providing access to quality care to individuals 

with Parkinson’s disease requires increased research, 

education, and community support services: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 


rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•SRES 434 ATS 

1 (1) designates April 2016 as ‘‘Parkinson’s 

2 Awareness Month’’; 

3 (2) supports the goals and ideals of Parkinson’s 

4 Awareness Month; 

5 (3) continues to support research to develop 

6 more effective treatments for Parkinson’s disease 

7 and to ultimately find a cure for the disease; 

8 (4) recognizes the individuals with Parkinson’s 

9 disease who participate in vital clinical trials to ad10 vance the knowledge of the disease; and 

11 (5) commends the dedication of organizations, 

12 volunteers, researchers, and millions of individuals in 

13 the United States working to improve the quality of 

14 life for individuals with Parkinson’s disease and the 

15 families of those individuals. 

Æ 


rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS