Georgia CommonsHR 1833: ALS Awareness Month; May 2026; recognize
Last action March 20, 2026 · House Read and Adopted
A Georgia House resolution designates May 2026 as ALS Awareness Month, recognizing patients, caregivers, veterans, and healthcare providers affected by the disease.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives formally recognizes May 2026 as ALS Awareness Month. ALS, also called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive and fatal disease that gradually takes away a person's ability to move, speak, eat, and breathe. The resolution lays out background on the disease, including that thousands of Georgians and Americans are diagnosed each year, that there is no known cure, and that military veterans face a higher risk of developing it. The resolution does not create any new law, funding, or program. Its only operative actions are that the House recognizes May 2026 as ALS Awareness Month and directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make copies available to the public and the press.
What the bill does
- Formally recognizes May 2026 as ALS Awareness Month through a vote of the Georgia House of Representatives.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press.
- Creates no new funding, legal requirement, or state program; it is a symbolic statement rather than a change to Georgia law.
Who it affects
The resolution speaks to people living with ALS in Georgia, their families and caregivers, healthcare providers who treat them, military veterans (who face higher ALS risk), and organizations such as the ALS Association that fund research and support services.
Why it matters
While the resolution changes no laws or budgets, it publicly signals the Georgia House's acknowledgment of ALS patients and caregivers, potentially raising awareness of the disease's toll and the challenges of accessing treatment, equipment, and research funding.
Key provisions
- The resolution's whereas clauses describe ALS as a fatal neurodegenerative disease with no known cure and average survival of two to five years after diagnosis.
- It notes that military veterans face a higher likelihood of developing and dying from ALS than non-veterans.
- It cites the ALS Association's global research funding, including more than $154 million committed to over 550 research projects.
- The resolved clause designates May 2026 as ALS Awareness Month in Georgia.
- A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to make copies available to the public and the press.
From the bill
“amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease in which the brain loses connection with the muscles, slowly reducing a person's ability to walk, talk, eat, and eventually breathe”
“people who have served in the military are more likely to develop ALS and die from the disease than those without a history of military service”
Status timeline
- House Read and Adopted (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Samuel Park (D, HD-107)
- Al Williams (D, HD-168)
- Spencer Frye (D, HD-122)
- Park Cannon (D, HD-058)
- Saira Draper (D, HD-090)
Topics
- ALS awareness
- public health
- veterans health
- disease research