Title: Raising awareness of the racial disparities in the impact of colorectal cancer on the Black community.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This resolution acknowledges racial disparities in the impact of colorectal cancer, particularly in the Black community, and encourages actions to address those disparities.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 242 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 242

Raising awareness of the racial disparities in the impact of colorectal 
                     cancer on the Black community.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 16, 2021

Mrs. Watson Coleman (for herself, Mr. Payne, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. 
 Allred, Ms. Velazquez, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mrs. 
    Hayes, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Meeks, Ms. Clark of Massachusetts, Mr. 
Hastings, Ms. Pressley, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. San 
  Nicolas, Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Ms. Norton, Ms. Adams, Ms. 
  Bass, Mr. Sires, Mr. Soto, Mr. Pocan, and Mr. Carson) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Raising awareness of the racial disparities in the impact of colorectal 
                     cancer on the Black community.

Whereas colorectal cancer, or CRC, is the third-most common cancer in the United 
        States for men and women combined, and the second leading cause of 
        cancer death;
Whereas this disease takes the lives of more than 50,000 people each year;
Whereas the rate of CRC is 24 percent higher among Black men and is 19 percent 
        higher among Black women than compared to non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas the rate of CRC death is 47 percent higher among Black men and is 34 
        percent higher among Black women than compared to non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas CRC is the third-leading cause of cancer death in both Black men and 
        women in the United States;
Whereas deaths from colorectal cancer among people younger than 55 have 
        increased one percent per year from 2008 to 2017;
Whereas the tragic death of 43-year-old actor Chadwick Boseman from colorectal 
        cancer has catalyzed more conversation about CRC's impact on the Black 
        community;
Whereas getting screened for CRC is highly recommended at age 50, and currently 
        the United States Preventive Services Task Force is considering a 
        recommendation to lower the age at which people should first get 
        screened to 45; and
Whereas CRC has a 90-percent survival rate when caught at the earliest stage and 
        there are many screening methods available: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the deadly impact colorectal cancer has to 
        the American people;
            (2) acknowledges the racial disparity that the Black 
        community faces when dealing with colorectal cancer;
            (3) encourages the Centers for Disease Control and 
        Prevention to continue and expand their work to identify those 
        factors that result in the colorectal racial screening 
        disparity and develop effective strategies to reduce and 
        ultimately eliminate racial disparities in colorectal 
        screening;
            (4) encourages everyone get colorectal cancer screening 
        when recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task 
        Force;
            (5) encourages the United States Preventive Services Task 
        Force to finalize its recommendation that screening begin at 45 
        years of age and provide special recommendations that highlight 
        the impact colorectal cancer has on the Black community; and
            (6) urges State health plans to quickly adopt new measures 
        to cover colorectal screenings for individuals at a lower age, 
        with special consideration for the Black community and all 
        those at higher risk for colorectal cancer.
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