IV 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 970 
Supporting the designation of May 2020 as ‘‘ALS Awareness Month’’. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 15, 2020 
Mr. CROW (for himself, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Ms. SEWELL of Alabama, Mr. CAL-
VERT, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. KING of Iowa, Mr. 
CLAY, Mr. NEGUSE, Mr. HOLDING, Mr. O’HALLERAN, Mr. ROUDA, Mr. 
VAN DREW, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. HURD of Texas, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mrs. AXNE, 
Mr. MOULTON, Mr. CASTEN of Illinois, Mr. COLE, Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. CAS-
TOR of Florida, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. FORTENBERRY, Mr. 
HUFFMAN, Mrs. RODGERS of Washington, Mr. GALLAGHER, Mr. CASE, 
Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. LAMBORN, 
Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. ROSE of New York, Mr. 
MCGOVERN, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, 
Mr. KING of New York, Mr. BOST, Mr. MARSHALL, Mr. WESTERMAN, 
Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. 
FINKENAUER, Mr. BIGGS, Mr. TRONE, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mrs. BEATTY, 
Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. COHEN, Mr. JOYCE of Ohio, Mr. 
THOMPSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. WELCH, Mr. MAST, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. 
LAMB, Mr. TONKO, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. BISHOP 
of Georgia, Mr. ENGEL, Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. LYNCH, Ms. 
MCCOLLUM, Ms. CRAIG, Mr. TIMMONS, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. 
CLEAVER, Mr. CURTIS, and Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Energy and Commerce 
RESOLUTION 
Supporting the designation of May 2020 as ‘‘ALS Awareness 
Month’’. 
Whereas amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (referred to in this pre-
amble as ‘‘ALS’’) is a progressive neurodegenerative dis-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:27 May 16, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR970.IH
HR970
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
•HRES 970 IH 
ease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal 
cord; 
Whereas the life expectancy for an individual with ALS is be-
tween 2 and 5 years after the date on which the indi-
vidual receives an ALS diagnosis; 
Whereas ALS occurs throughout the world with no racial, 
ethnic, gender, or socioeconomic boundaries; 
Whereas the 2 different types of ALS are sporadic ALS and 
familial ALS; 
Whereas sporadic ALS— 
(1) is the most common form of motor neuron dis-
ease in the United States; 
(2) accounts for between 90 and 95 percent of all 
cases of ALS in the United States; and 
(3) may affect any individual in any location; 
Whereas familial ALS (commonly known as ‘‘FALS’’)— 
(1) is inherited; and 
(2) accounts for between 5 and 10 percent of all 
cases of ALS in the United States; 
Whereas there is a 50 percent chance that each offspring of 
an individual with familial ALS will inherit the gene mu-
tation for familial ALS and develop the disease; 
Whereas, on average, the period between the date on which 
an individual first experiences symptoms of ALS and the 
date on which the individual is diagnosed with ALS is 
about 1 year; 
Whereas the onset of ALS often involves muscle weakness or 
stiffness, and the progression of ALS results in the fur-
ther weakening, wasting, and paralysis of— 
(1) the muscles of the limbs and trunk; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:27 May 16, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR970.IH
HR970
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
•HRES 970 IH 
(2) the muscles that control vital functions, such as 
speech, swallowing, and breathing; 
Whereas ALS can strike individuals of any age but predomi-
nantly strikes adults; 
Whereas it is estimated that tens of thousands of individuals 
in the United States have ALS at any given time; 
Whereas, based on studies of the population of the United 
States, slightly more than 5,600 individuals in the United 
States are diagnosed with ALS each year, and 15 individ-
uals in the United States are diagnosed with ALS each 
day; 
Whereas, between 2015 and 2040, the number of ALS cases 
around the world is expected to increase nearly 70 per-
cent; 
Whereas the majority of individuals with ALS die of res-
piratory failure; 
Whereas military veterans are approximately twice as likely 
to be diagnosed with ALS as the general public in the 
United States; 
Whereas, as of the date of introduction of this resolution, 
there is no cure for ALS; 
Whereas the spouses, children, and family members of indi-
viduals living with ALS provide support to those individ-
uals with love, day-to-day care, and more; and 
Whereas an individual with ALS and the caregivers of such 
an individual can be required to bear significant costs for 
medical care, equipment, and home health care services 
for the individual as the disease progresses: Now, there-
fore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:27 May 16, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR970.IH
HR970
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS