Referred to:  The Health, Human Services and Housing Committee (Chairman Uchitelle and Legislators Corcoran, Erner, Lopez, Nolan, Petit, and Stewart)

Legislator Craig Lopez and Legislators            offer the following:

WHEREAS, every six minutes someone will be diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in the U.S., equating to 90,000 new diagnoses each year; and

WHEREAS, Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system and the parts of the body controlled by the nerves; and

WHEREAS, while the underlying cause of Parkinson’s disease is unknown risk factors include age, heredity, gender and exposure to toxins, and

WHEREAS, the disease’s gradually worsening symptoms are caused by certain nerve cells (neurons) in the brain gradually breaking down or dying which reduces the production of dopamine causing atypical brain activity, leading to impaired movement and other symptoms of Parkinson's disease; and

WHEREAS, Parkinson’s Disease signs and symptoms include tremor or rhythmic shaking, bradykinesia (slowed movement), rigid or stiff muscles, impaired posture and balance, loss of automatic movements including blinking or smiling, speech changes including slurring, and difficulty writing; and

WHEREAS, in addition to movement or motor related symptoms, non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease can be even more impactful to the life of a patient and often include depression, anxiety, apathy, hallucinations, constipation, orthostatic hypotension, sleep disorders, loss of sense of smell, and a variety of cognitive impairments; and

WHEREAS, there is no cure for Parkinson’s Disease, and while the disease itself is not fatal, complications can be so serious that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rated complications from Parkinson’s Disease as the 14th cause of death in the U.S.; and

WHEREAS, the European Parkinson's Disease Association (EPDA) and the World Health Organization established World Parkinson's Day on April 11^th, 1997 in honor of Dr. James Parkinson, author of an 1817 paper titled “An Essay on the Shaking Palsy", and globally acknowledged as the first physician to recognize Parkinson’s as a medical condition; and

WHEREAS, a number of organizations, including the Parkinson’s Foundation and Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, have been created to improve care and treatment options for patients, as well as fund and advance research to cure and prevent Parkinson’s Disease; and

WHEREAS, in July 2022 the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Disease was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R.8585) and in September 2022 introduced in the U.S. Senate (S.4851), but did not get voted out of committee; and

WHEREAS, the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Disease requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to carry out a project to prevent and cure Parkinson's Disease including: (1) implement and periodically update a national plan to coordinate and guide efforts to prevent and cure the disease; (2) improve diagnosis, treatment, and care of those with the disease; and (3) address health and other disparities related to the disease, and additionally to conduct annual assessments on the preparation for and response to the increased burden of Parkinson's Disease and establishes a council, comprised of federal and nonfederal stakeholders, to advise HHS on and make recommendations concerning the prevention and cure of Parkinson's disease; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Ulster County Legislature supports the re-introduction of The National Plan To End Parkinson’s Act in the 118^th Congress of the United States; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the Ulster County Legislature hereby proclaims April 2023 as Parkinson’s Awareness Month in Ulster County; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the Clerk of the Ulster County Legislature shall forward copies of this resolution to the Ulster County Executive, the Ulster County Commissioner of Health, and members of the United States Congress representing Ulster County,

and move its adoption.

         ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

         AYES:                   NOES:       

Passed Committee: Health, Human Services and Housing on ________________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE