HR 526 — A Resolution recognizing the month of May 2026 as "Guillain-Barré Syndrome Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.

PRINTER'S NO.   3411

                   THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



           HOUSE RESOLUTION
              No. 526
                                              Session of
                                                2026

     INTRODUCED BY BELLMON, HOHENSTEIN, GIRAL, McNEILL, HILL-EVANS,
        VENKAT, KHAN, WAXMAN, SANCHEZ, NEILSON, CIRESI, GALLAGHER AND
        CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, MAY 13, 2026

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, MAY 14, 2026


                               A RESOLUTION
 1   Recognizing the month of May 2026 as "Guillain-Barré Syndrome
 2      Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
 3      WHEREAS, Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare acute
 4   autoimmune condition which affects an individual's peripheral
 5   nerves; and
 6      WHEREAS, GBS was first described in 1916 by scientists
 7   Guillain, Barré and Strohl and was believed to primarily affect
 8   the limbs; and
 9      WHEREAS, GBS is classified as an autoimmune disease due to
10   the fact that the immune system attacks healthy nerves and
11   damages them; and
12      WHEREAS, GBS affects 3,000 to 6,000 people annually in the
13   United States, according to the United States Centers for
14   Disease Control and Prevention; and
15      WHEREAS, GBS can affect anyone, however the disease typically
16   affects male adults over 50 years of age; and
17      WHEREAS, While the cause of GBS is not fully understood,
 1   symptoms typically start shortly after a respiratory or
 2   gastrointestinal bacterial or viral infection; and
 3         WHEREAS, GBS is not contagious and is characterized by a
 4   rapid onset of symptoms, which typically increase in severity
 5   over the course of the syndrome; and
 6         WHEREAS, Due to the risk of muscle paralysis, GBS usually
 7   requires hospitalization; and
 8         WHEREAS, Those with GBS are typically able to fully recover
 9   with immunotherapy treatments and rehabilitation; and
10         WHEREAS, The National Institutes of Health's National
11   Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National
12   Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases are currently
13   funding research into the cause of GBS as well as treatments;
14   and
15         WHEREAS, The World Health Organization has included GBS in
16   its intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other
17   neurological disorders to improve care for conditions like GBS;
18   and
19         WHEREAS, Organizations like GBS-CIDP Foundation International
20   are working to bring greater awareness to GBS; and
21         WHEREAS, "Guillain-Barré Syndrome Awareness Month" is
22   recognized in May in order to raise awareness of GBS and
23   advocate for further research; therefore be it
24         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
25   month of May 2026 as "Guillain-Barré Syndrome Awareness Month"
26   in Pennsylvania.




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