--- title: HR 1356. Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week; March 8-14, 2026; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1356 cite_as: HR 1356, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1356 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1356.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1356/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73215 date: 2026-02-12 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1355.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1357.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 134 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1356.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1356 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-02-12 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Tim Fleming - Sharon Cooper - Miriam Paris - Reynaldo Martinez - Bruce Williamson text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1356/2025 upstream_id: 2116163 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - multiple sclerosis - public health awareness - Georgia House resolution - disease research --- # HR 1356. Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week; March 8-14, 2026; recognize ## Text House Resolution 1356 By: Representatives Fleming of the 114th, Cooper of the 45th, Paris of the 142nd, Martinez of the 111th, and Williamson of the 112th A RESOLUTION Recognizing March 8-14, 2026, as Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system, affecting nearly 1 million people in the United States alone; and WHEREAS, most people are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis between ages 20 and 50 and an estimated 10,000 children live with MS worldwide; and WHEREAS, the exact cause of MS is unknown and no cure currently exists; and WHEREAS, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is committed to a world free of MS, raising public knowledge about the disease and elevating the voices of those affected by it; and WHEREAS, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society has transformed what it means to live with MS and provided global leadership to speed discoveries to help achieve its vision of a world free of MS; and WHEREAS, since 1946, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society has been a driving force of MS research, relentlessly pursuing prevention, treatments, and cures, and has invested more than $1 billion in groundbreaking research; and WHEREAS, funds raised through the National Multiple Sclerosis Society align worldwide resources and fuel research on pathways to MS cures; and WHEREAS, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society invests in the next generation of MS researchers through fellowships and training, leading to many breakthroughs in MS; and WHEREAS, the mission of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is to cure MS while empowering people affected by MS to live their best lives and is one that all Americans and the State of Georgia should support; and WHEREAS, the State of Georgia recognizes the importance of finding the cause and cures for MS and expresses its appreciation for the dedication that the National Multiple Sclerosis Society has shown toward creating a world free of MS. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize March 8-14, 2026, as Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution recognizes March 8-14, 2026 as Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week, honoring people affected by the disease and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's research work. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives designates March 8-14, 2026 as Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week. It does not change any law; it is a symbolic statement recognizing multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease of the central nervous system with no known cause or cure, and the work of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in funding research and supporting patients. The resolution recites background information about MS, including that it affects nearly 1 million people in the United States and is typically diagnosed between ages 20 and 50. It formally resolves that House members recognize the awareness week, and it directs the Clerk of the House to send a copy of the resolution to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. ### What it does - Formally designates March 8-14, 2026 as Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week in the Georgia House of Representatives. - Directs the Clerk of the House to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. - Expresses the House's appreciation for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's research and advocacy work, without creating any new program, funding, or legal requirement. ### Who it affects This mainly affects the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, which receives formal recognition, and people in Georgia living with or affected by multiple sclerosis, whose experience the resolution acknowledges. It does not impose duties on any state agency, business, or individual. ### Why it matters Because this is a ceremonial resolution rather than a law, it does not change anyone's rights, funding, or obligations. Its practical effect is symbolic: raising public attention on multiple sclerosis and acknowledging the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's research efforts during the designated week. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses describe multiple sclerosis, noting it affects nearly 1 million people in the U.S. and has no known cause or cure. - The resolved clause designates March 8-14, 2026 as Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week in the House of Representatives. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute a copy of the resolution to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-02-12) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-02-12) - Sponsors: Tim Fleming, Sharon Cooper, Miriam Paris, Reynaldo Martinez, Bruce Williamson - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73215 > The history, votes, and amendments (134 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1356.md?full=1