IV 

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; 


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•HRES 361 IH 

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 


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•HRES 361 IH 

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; 


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•HRES 361 IH 

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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the designation of ‘‘Brain Dona3 tion Awareness Day’’; and 

4 (2) recognizes the importance of, with respect 

5 to neurological conditions and disorders— 

6 (A) improving awareness; 

7 (B) research; 


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•HRES 361 IH 

1 (C) supporting national efforts to develop 

2 effective treatments, diagnostics, and cures; 

3 (D) supporting national efforts to address 

4 the urgent need for post mortem brain tissue, 

5 both control and diseased; and 

6 (E) educating on the importance of brain 

7 donation to support national research efforts. 

Æ 


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