IV 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 903 
Expressing support for the designation of the month of September 2016 
as ‘‘Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month’’ in order to educate commu-
nities across the United States about sickle cell disease and the need 
for research, early detection methods, effective treatments, and preventa-
tive care programs with respect to sickle cell disease. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 
Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois (for himself and Mr. RANGEL) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight 
and Government Reform 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing support for the designation of the month of Sep-
tember 2016 as ‘‘Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month’’ 
in order to educate communities across the United States 
about sickle cell disease and the need for research, early 
detection methods, effective treatments, and preventative 
care programs with respect to sickle cell disease. 
Whereas sickle cell disease (in this preamble referred to as 
‘‘SCD’’) is an inherited blood disorder that is a major 
health problem in the United States and worldwide; 
Whereas SCD causes the rapid destruction of sickle cells, 
which results in multiple medical complications, including 
anemia, jaundice, gallstones, strokes, restricted blood 
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•HRES 903 IH 
flow, damaged tissue in the liver, spleen, and kidneys, 
and death; 
Whereas SCD causes episodes of considerable pain in the 
arms, legs, chest, and abdomen of an individual; 
Whereas SCD affects an estimated 100,000 individuals in the 
United States; 
Whereas approximately 1,000 babies are born with SCD each 
year in the United States, with the disease occurring in 
approximately 1 in 365 newborn African-American in-
fants and 1 in 16,300 newborn Hispanic-American in-
fants and is found in individuals of Mediterranean, Mid-
dle Eastern, Asian, and Indian origin; 
Whereas more than 3,000,000 individuals in the United 
States have the sickle cell trait and 1 in 13 African- 
Americans carries the trait; 
Whereas there is a 1 in 4 chance that a child born to parents 
who both have the sickle cell trait will have the disease; 
Whereas the life expectancy of an individual with SCD is 
often severely limited; 
Whereas, while hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (com-
monly known as ‘‘HSCT’’) is currently the only cure for 
SCD and advances in treating the associated complica-
tions of SCD have occurred, more research is needed to 
find widely available treatments and cures to help pa-
tients with SCD; and 
Whereas September 2016 has been designated as Sickle Cell 
Disease Awareness Month in order to educate commu-
nities across the United States about SCD, including 
early detection methods, effective treatments, and pre-
ventative care programs with respect to SCD: Now, 
therefore, be it 
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•HRES 903 IH 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports the goals and ideals of Sickle Cell 
Disease Awareness Month; and 
(2) encourages the people of the United States 
to hold appropriate programs, events, and activities 
during Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month to raise 
public awareness of preventative care programs, 
treatments, and other patient services for those suf-
fering from sickle cell disease. 
Æ 
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