1-1 By: Marchant (Senate Sponsor - Moncrief) H.C.R. No. 8 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 23, 2001; 1-3 April 24, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Health 1-4 and Human Services; May 1, 2001, reported favorably by the 1-5 following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 1, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-7 WHEREAS, Current federal funding for research on muscular 1-8 dystrophy is insufficient given the disease's prevalence and 1-9 severity, and this level of support does little to promote advances 1-10 in research and treatment of the disease; and 1-11 WHEREAS, The term muscular dystrophy encompasses a large 1-12 group of hereditary muscle-destroying disorders that appear in men, 1-13 women, and children of every race and ethnicity, with the most 1-14 common disorder, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, first appearing in 1-15 early childhood or adolescence; and 1-16 WHEREAS, Furthermore, since genetic mutations may be a factor 1-17 in any incidence of muscular dystrophy, anyone could be a carrier, 1-18 and no family is immune from the possibility of the disease 1-19 afflicting one of its members; and 1-20 WHEREAS, While the prognosis for individuals afflicted with a 1-21 muscular dystrophy disorder varies according to patterns of 1-22 inheritance, the age of onset, the initial muscles attacked, and 1-23 the progression of the disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the 1-24 most common fatal childhood genetic disease; and 1-25 WHEREAS, Because muscular dystrophy varies widely from one 1-26 disorder to another, continuing research is important to 1-27 understanding the disease, treating it, and working toward its 1-28 prevention and cure; and 1-29 WHEREAS, Congressional funding for research by the National 1-30 Institutes of Health on Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy does 1-31 not reflect the severity of this disease, the importance of finding 1-32 a cure, or the potential benefits that research in this area could 1-33 have on other similar disorders; and 1-34 WHEREAS, To save lives and improve the quality of life for 1-35 those already afflicted by this disease, it is imperative that the 1-36 federal government take the initiative to increase funding for the 1-37 research of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy; now, therefore, 1-38 be it 1-39 RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas 1-40 hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to 1-41 increase funding for research by the National Institutes of Health 1-42 for the treatment and cure of Duchenne and Becker muscular 1-43 dystrophy; and, be it further 1-44 RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official 1-45 copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to 1-46 the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of 1-47 the senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of 1-48 the Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this 1-49 resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a 1-50 memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. 1-51 * * * * *