Amended in Assembly March 19, 2015

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 16

Introduced by Senator Block

(Coauthors: Senators begin insert Allen, end insert Anderson, begin insert Bates, end insert begin insert Fuller, end insert Hall, begin insert Hertzberg, end insert begin insert Huff, end insert Leno, begin delete and end delete begin insert Monning, Nielsen, end insert Vidak begin insert , end insert begin insert Wieckowski, and Wolk end insert )

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Travis Allen, begin insert Baker, end insert begin insert Brough, end insert Calderon, begin insert Chang, end insert begin insert Chávez, end insert Chu, begin delete and end delete begin insert Dodd, Harper, end insert Lackey begin insert , end insert begin insert Waldron, end insert begin insert and Wood end insert )

February 2, 2015

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 16—Relative to Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 16, as amended, Block. Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week.

This measure would declare the week of March 2, 2015, through March 8, 2015, as Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, The week of March 2, 2015, through March 8,
2015, has been declared Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week in
recognition of the importance of finding the cause of, and a cure
for, multiple sclerosis and to express appreciation to the National
Multiple Sclerosis Society and its California chapters; and

WHEREAS, Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disease of the
central nervous system that affects an estimated 400,000 Americans
across the country, and nearly 200 new cases are diagnosed each
week nationwide; and

WHEREAS, More than 40,000 people in California are affected
by this devastating disease; and

WHEREAS, Twice as many women as men have multiple
sclerosis and most are diagnosed between begin delete the ages of end delete 20 and begin delete 50, end delete
begin insert 50 years of age, inclusive, end insert and while studies indicate genetic factors
make certain individuals more susceptible than others, there is no
evidence that multiple sclerosis is directly inherited; and

WHEREAS, The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, founded
in 1946, funds more research, offers more services for people with
multiple sclerosis, and provides more professional education
programs than any other multiple sclerosis organization in the
world. Through its 50-state network of chapters, the society serves
more than one million people annually; and

WHEREAS, The society is the largest private supporter of
multiple sclerosis research in the world, and for more than 55 years
it has funded innovative research and advocated for government
support of important scientific inquiries; and

WHEREAS, Throughout the years, the California chapters of
the society have been committed to heightening public knowledge
and insight, and are currently planning several major statewide
educational programs to raise awareness about the effects of
multiple sclerosis; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature declares the week of
March 2, 2015, through March 8, 2015, as Multiple Sclerosis
Awareness Week, and that the residents of the State of California
are encouraged to join together in raising awareness and
heightening public knowledge of this debilitating disease; and be
it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.