--- title: HR 546. Myositis Awareness Month; May 2025; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr546 cite_as: HR 546, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr546 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr546.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr546/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71237 date: 2025-03-06 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-12 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/hr545.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr547.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr546.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 546 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-06 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Scott Hilton - Sharon Cooper - Lee Hawkins - Karen Mathiak - Angie O'Steen - Devan Seabaugh text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR546/2025 upstream_id: 1994274 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - myositis awareness - rare diseases - public health - autoimmune disease --- # HR 546. Myositis Awareness Month; May 2025; recognize ## Text House Resolution 546 By: Representatives Hilton of the 48th, Cooper of the 45th, Hawkins of the 27th, Mathiak of the 82nd, O’Steen of the 169th, and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing May 2025 as Myositis Awareness Month; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, residents of Georgia are among those affected by myositis and other rare diseases, as nearly one in ten Americans have a rare disease; and WHEREAS, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, collectively referred to as myositis, are rare, chronic, autoimmune muscle-wasting diseases that often feature debilitating muscle inflammation, pain, fatigue, and difficulty swallowing and can result in myositis-associated interstitial lung disease; and WHEREAS, more research is needed to identify the causes of and treatments for myositis, which includes anti-MDA5 autoantibody-positive myositis, antisynthetase syndrome, dermatomyositis, juvenile dermatomyositis, immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy, inclusion body myositis, and polymyositis; and WHEREAS, myositis is difficult to diagnose, often leading to delayed treatment, and individuals with the disease frequently struggle to find healthcare providers with expertise in their condition; and WHEREAS, all who suffer from myositis experience a reduced quality of life, and no cure has been found; life expectancy is often shortened, particularly for those with inclusion body myositis, and women and people of color with all forms of myositis experience pronounced health disparities; and WHEREAS, the Myositis Association is the leading international patient advocacy organization serving the myositis community, focusing on patient services, education, research, and public awareness in the pursuit of a world without myositis. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize May 2025 as Myositis Awareness Month. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the press. ## 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 May 2025 as Myositis Awareness Month, drawing attention to a group of rare autoimmune muscle diseases and the difficulty patients face getting diagnosed and treated. ### Plain-language summary This resolution does not change any Georgia law. Instead, it formally recognizes May 2025 as Myositis Awareness Month in the state. The text explains that myositis refers to a group of rare, chronic autoimmune diseases that cause muscle inflammation, pain, fatigue, and sometimes lung disease, and notes that these conditions are hard to diagnose and often lead to delayed treatment. The resolution also points out that no cure exists, that life expectancy can be shortened for some forms of the disease, and that women and people of color face greater health disparities from myositis. It credits the Myositis Association as the leading advocacy group for patients. The resolution directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make copies available to the public and the press. ### What it does - Formally designates May 2025 as Myositis Awareness Month in Georgia through a House resolution. - Describes myositis as a group of rare, chronic autoimmune muscle-wasting diseases, listing specific subtypes such as dermatomyositis and inclusion body myositis. - States that myositis is difficult to diagnose, has no cure, and disproportionately affects women and people of color. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. ### Who it affects The resolution most directly affects Georgians living with myositis and related rare autoimmune diseases, along with patient advocacy groups like the Myositis Association and healthcare providers who diagnose and treat these conditions. ### Why it matters While the resolution creates no new programs, funding, or legal requirements, it publicly acknowledges a rare disease that is often hard to diagnose, which can raise awareness among Georgians, healthcare providers, and the press about myositis and the challenges patients face. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe myositis as a group of rare, chronic autoimmune diseases causing muscle inflammation, pain, fatigue, and sometimes interstitial lung disease. - The resolution lists specific myositis subtypes, including anti-MDA5 autoantibody-positive myositis, dermatomyositis, juvenile dermatomyositis, and inclusion body myositis. - The resolving clause formally recognizes May 2025 as Myositis Awareness Month in the House of Representatives. - A final clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and the press. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-06) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-03-06) - Sponsors: Scott Hilton, Sharon Cooper, Lee Hawkins, Karen Mathiak, Angie O'Steen, Devan Seabaugh - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71237 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr546.md?full=1