PA HR159

Designates May 2025 as "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania

ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive muscle weakness, difficulty swallowing, talking, and breathing, eventually leading to quadriplegia while leaving mental capacity intact

Approximately 5,000 new ALS patients are diagnosed annually in the United States, with the disease occurring most commonly between ages 40-70 and 20% more frequently in men

Average survival time after diagnosis is only two to five years, and ALS currently has no known cause, prevention, or cure

Referred to Committee on Health on April 1, 2025