119-hres245

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 245 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 245

 Recognizing the significance of Sjogren's disease as a serious and 
systemic autoimmune disease and expressing support for the designation 
 of April 2025 as ``Sjogren's Awareness Month''.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 March 24, 2025

 Mr. Morelle submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
 the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Recognizing the significance of Sjogren's disease as a serious and 
systemic autoimmune disease and expressing support for the designation 
 of April 2025 as ``Sjogren's Awareness Month''.

Whereas up to 4,000,000 adults in the United States are living with Sjogren's 
 disease (Sjogren's);
Whereas Sjogren's is a systemic autoimmune disease that affects the entire body;
Whereas the characteristic symptoms of Sjogren's include profound fatigue, 
 extensive dryness throughout the body (including the eyes, mouth, 
 esophagus, sinuses, skin, and genitals), and pain;
Whereas complications from Sjogren's include chronic pain, major organ 
 involvement, neuropathies, cognitive dysfunction, gastrointestinal 
 dysfunction, interstitial cystitis, lymphomas, and, in babies whose 
 mothers have Sjogren's, fetal heartblock ;
Whereas the average age for a diagnosis of Sjogren's is currently between the 
 ages of 45 and 55, although Sjogren's can affect individuals of all 
 ages;
Whereas the ratio of women to men living with a Sjogren's diagnosis is 
 approximately 9 to 1;
Whereas the cause of Sjogren's is not known, and there is no single test to 
 diagnose the autoimmune disease;
Whereas individuals living with Sjogren's must bear high out-of-pocket costs in 
 order to afford medications to control inflammation and dryness, relieve 
 joint, muscle, and nerve pain, reduce acid reflux due to limited saliva 
 production, and treat the devastating complications of oral, ocular, and 
 other dryness;
Whereas rheumatologists primarily treat individuals with Sjogren's, but a wide 
 variety of other specialists are also involved with the treatment of 
 Sjogren's, including dentists, neurologists, ocular specialists, 
 otolaryngologists, gastroenterologists, nephrologists, and 
 pulmonologists;
Whereas Sjogren's is often difficult to diagnose and, since many health care 
 providers are unfamiliar with the disease, additional training is 
 essential to ensure patients receive accurate and timely diagnoses;
Whereas the physical and psychological impact of Sjogren's can severely affect 
 an individual's duties at home and in the workplace;
Whereas there is a need to update the nomenclature to classify Sjogren's as a 
 disease, including by the Federal Government;
Whereas there is a need for more research to understand the pathology that leads 
 to the autoimmune attack in Sjogren's, including the role of the 
 interplay of the immune and nervous systems;
Whereas clinical trials are underway to test the efficacy of targeted therapies 
 that will address the cause of Sjogren's, and research is underway to 
 identify genes and environmental influences that may contribute to 
 understanding who is susceptible to Sjogren's; and
Whereas more research is needed to identify new therapies and clear biomarkers 
 to help individuals with Sjogren's manage the symptoms and complications 
 as they age: Now, therefore, be it
 Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

    (1) recognizes Sjogren's disease as a serious health issue 
 that causes a significant health burden;

    (2) encourages the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
 and the heads of other relevant agencies--
        (A) to expand, enhance, and increase research of 
 Sjogren's disease and identify new areas of research 
 through the Office of Autoimmune Disease Research;
        (B) to improve the understanding of the causes of 
 Sjogren's disease and identify biomarkers that will 
 help with patient stratification and diagnosis, disease 
 management, and development of targeted therapies for 
 Sjogren's patients;
            (C) to better quantify and regularly track the 
 number of Sjogren's patients, as many individuals are 
 believed to be undiagnosed or are misdiagnosed, such as 
 those that have Sjogren's disease and another 
 autoimmune disease;
            (D) to update literature on Sjogren's disease and 
 disseminate such literature to health providers to 
 increase awareness and accurate knowledge about the 
 disease; and
        (E) to build awareness of Sjogren's disease among 
 physicians and communities in underserved areas so that 
 patients with Sjogren's disease are diagnosed correctly 
 and obtain the care they need; and

    (3) expresses support for the designation of ``Sjogren's 
 Awareness Month''.
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