119-sres416

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 416 Agreed to Senate

    (ATS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
S. RES. 416

 Expressing support for the designation of September 2025 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 complications from sickle cell disease and 
 conditions related to sickle cell disease.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 September 19 (legislative day, September 16), 2025

 Mr. Thune (for Mr. Scott of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. Booker, 
Mr. Lankford, Mr. Padilla, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Ms. Warren, Ms. Klobuchar, 
 and Mr. Warnock)) submitted the following resolution; which was 
 considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Expressing support for the designation of September 2025 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 complications from sickle cell disease and 
 conditions related to sickle cell disease.

Whereas sickle cell disease (referred to in this preamble as ``SCD'') is an 
 inherited blood disorder that is a major health problem in the United 
 States and worldwide;
Whereas SCD can result in multiple medical complications, including anemia, 
 jaundice, gallstones, strokes, restricted blood flow, damaged tissue in 
 the liver, spleen, and kidneys, and death;
Whereas SCD causes acute and chronic episodes of severe pain;
Whereas SCD affects an estimated 100,000 individuals in the United States;
Whereas approximately 2,000 babies are born with SCD each year in the United 
 States, with the disease occurring in approximately 1 in 365 newborn 
 Black or African American infants and 1 in 16,300 newborn Hispanic-
 American infants, and can be found in individuals of Mediterranean, 
 Middle Eastern, Asian, and Indian origin;
Whereas more than 2,000,000 individuals in the United States have the sickle 
 cell trait and 1 in 13 Black or 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 in the United States is 
 often severely limited, with some estimates showing a shortened life 
 expectancy by 20 years;
Whereas sickle cell anemia is a common cause of childhood stroke, and in 2019, 
 fewer than half of children with sickle cell anemia who were 2 to 16 
 years old received the recommended screening for stroke;
Whereas, in 2019, only 2 in 5 children with sickle cell anemia who were 2 to 9 
 years old used recommended medication that can prevent sickle cell 
 anemia complications;
Whereas, in 2020, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine 
 developed a comprehensive strategic plan and blueprint for action to 
 address sickle cell disease, which, among other things, cited the need 
 for new innovative therapies and promoting widespread patient access to 
 approved treatments;
Whereas, in 2023, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (commonly known as 
 ``HSCT'') was the only cure for SCD, and the Food and Drug 
 Administration has since approved 2 gene therapies that have been 
 demonstrated to cure SCD;
Whereas more research is needed to find more treatments and cures to help 
 individuals with SCD;
Whereas the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has introduced an 
 innovative cell and gene therapy access model for interested States and 
 United States territories, where it will support administration and 
 outcomes-based contracts with drug manufacturers for Medicaid 
 beneficiaries to receive these life-saving breakthroughs; and
Whereas September 2025 has been designated as ``Sickle Cell Disease Awareness 
 Month'' in order to educate communities across the United States about 
 SCD, including early detection methods, effective treatments, and 
 preventative care programs with respect to complications from SCD and 
 conditions related to SCD: Now, therefore, be it
 Resolved, That the Senate--

    (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 the sickle 
 cell trait, preventative care programs, treatments, and other 
 patient services for those suffering from sickle cell disease, 
 complications from sickle cell disease, and conditions related 
 to sickle cell disease.
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