Public Law 102–284

Joint Resolution

To designate the month of May 1992 as “National Huntington’s Disease Awareness Month”.

Whereas twenty-five thousand Americans are victims of Huntington’s disease, a fatal, hereditary, neurological disorder;

Whereas an additional one hundred and twenty-five thousand Americans have a 50-percent chance of inheriting the gene responsible for Huntington’s disease from an affected parent and are considered to be “at-risk” for the disease;

Whereas tens of thousands of other Americans experience the destructive effects of the disease, including suffering from the social stigma associated with the disease, assuming the difficult role of caring for a loved victim of the disease, witnessing the prolonged, irreversible physical and mental deterioration of a loved one, and agonizing over the death of a loved one;

Whereas at present there is no cure for Huntington’s disease and no means available to retard or reverse the effects of the disease;

Whereas a victim of the later stages of Huntington’s disease invariably requires total personal care, the provision of which often results in devastating financial consequences for the victim and the victim’s family;

Whereas recent advances in the field of molecular genetics have enabled scientists to locate approximately the gene-site responsible for Huntington’s disease;

Whereas many of the novel techniques resulting from these advances have also been instrumental in locating the gene-sites responsible for familial Alzheimer’s disease, manic depression, kidney cancer, and other disorders;

Whereas increased Federal funding of medical research could facilitate additional advances and result in the discovery of the cause and chemical processes of Huntington’s disease and the development of strategies to stop and reverse the progress of the disease:

Whereas Huntington’s disease typifies other late-onset, behavioral genetic disorders by presenting the victim and the victim’s family with a broad range of biomedical, psychological, social, and economic problems; and

Whereas in the absence of a cure for Huntington’s disease, victims of the disease deserve to live with dignity and be regarded as full and respected family members and members of society: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

Approved May 14, 1992.