Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Rhode Island General Assembly, fetched 2026-07-29. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
H8306 2026 -- H 8306 ======== LC006078 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N PROCLAIMING MARCH OF 2026 TO BE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AWARENESS MONTH IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND Introduced By: Representatives Alzate, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Kennedy, DeSimone, Batista, Felix, Hull, Furtado, and Sanchez Date Introduced: March 17, 2026 Referred To: House read and passed 1 WHEREAS, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central 2 nervous system, affecting approximately one million individuals in the United States. 3 Approximately 10,000 new cases of Multiple Sclerosis are diagnosed in the United States each 4 year, and the disease is more prevalent in women than men; and 5 WHEREAS, Multiple Sclerosis causes damage to the central nervous system when 6 overactive immune cells attack myelin, the protective covering of nerve fibers, resulting in 7 inflammation which, over time, causes lesions that harden into scar tissue, known as sclerosis ; 8 and 9 WHEREAS, Multiple Sclerosis is characterized by unpredictable symptoms such as 10 fatigue, numbness, weakness, cognitive impairments such as optic neuritis and mobility 11 challenges, which often lead to significant disability; and 12 WHEREAS, While there are a variety of treatments available to slow the progression of 13 Multiple Sclerosis, there are currently no treatments that can stop or reverse the damage caused 14 by the disease. Damage to the central nervous system can occur even before an individual 15 experiences symptoms, therefore the best chance to reduce long-term disability is during the early 16 phase of the disease. Early and accurate diagnosis gives individuals the best chance of living a 17 normal or near-normal life; and 18 WHEREAS, Increased awareness of Multiple Sclerosis can promote understanding, 19 support, and access to resources for those living with the disease, as well as encourage 1 advancements in research, treatment, and quality-of-life initiatives; and 2 WHEREAS, Rhode Island has the second-highest rate of Multiple Sclerosis in the United 3 States, behind only Washington, D.C., with a rate of approximately 36 cases per 10,000 residents, 4 significantly higher than the national average; now, therefore be it 5 RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby 6 proclaims March of 2026 to be Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month in the State of Rhode 7 Island; and be it further 8 RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 9 transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. ======== LC006078 ======== LC006078 - Page 2 of 2
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