HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2540        FILED ON: 1/20/2011

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2583

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Anne M. Gobi

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to designate Narcolepsy Awareness Day.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2540        FILED ON: 1/20/2011

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2583

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Eleven

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An Act to designate Narcolepsy Awareness Day.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Whereas, According to current estimates, the disorder affects about one in every 2,000 Americans.  Researchers estimate  200,000 people living in the United States is effected by this chronic disease.  Whereas, Narcolepsy appears throughout the United States, in every racial and ethnic group, affecting males and females equally;

Whereas, The cause of narcolepsy remains unknown, however recent research suggests that Narcolepsy may be an auto-immune disease, and no cure for the disorder currently exists;

Whereas, Narcolepsy has the potential to prove profoundly disabling to all those who are affected by the disorder, causing them to fall asleep involuntarily while going about their daily lives;

Whereas, Experts recognize that narcolepsy sometimes contributes to certain childhood behavioral problems, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and, if left undiagnosed and untreated, narcolepsy can pose special problems for children and adolescents, interfering with their psychological, social, and cognitive development;

Whereas, Narcolepsy is not definitively diagnosed in most patients until 10 to 15 years after the first symptoms appear due to a lack of awareness amongst both health professionals and the general public;

Whereas, it is understood to be to the benefit of the general public to raise awareness of this potentially crippling neurological disorder;

Therefore, let it be enacted as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 6 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2006 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 15CCCCC, the following section: -

“SECTION 15 DDDDD. The Governor shall annually issue a proclamation setting apart the seventh day of March as “Narcolepsy Awareness Day” in recognition of the many citizens of the Commonwealth affected by Narcolepsy, the need for increased awareness amongst medical professionals and the general public, research and support for those affected and their families, and recommending that the day be observed in an appropriate manner by the citizens of Massachusetts. “