SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2017 SESSION

17101633D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 750
Offered January 16, 2017
Designating August 17, in 2017 and in each succeeding year, as Coats Disease Awareness Day in Virginia.
----------
Patron-- Cox
----------
Referred to Committee on Rules
----------

WHEREAS, among the debilitating eye diseases that affect Virginians and others throughout the world, Coats disease is a rare eye condition that primarily afflicts young children and teenagers, but can also affect adults as well; and

WHEREAS, Coats disease can cause blood vessels in one or both eyes to develop abnormally, causing leakage of exudate (cholesterol) in the back of the eye which produces a noticeable yellow glow in pictures and, without early detection, treatment, or surgery, may result in trauma, damage, partial or total blindness, or even removal of the eye; and

WHEREAS, Coats disease is still not widely known and can be misdiagnosed by some in the medical community, even among retinal specialists; and

WHEREAS, Coats disease is classified as an orphan disease, yet it impacts thousands in the Commonwealth and the nation; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth is committed to finding cures and treatments for many rare diseases or afflictions through scientific, academic, and commercial endeavors, and the Commonwealth can be a leader in promoting awareness, research, study, and cures for Coats disease; and

WHEREAS, Coats Disease Awareness Day is an important tool for raising awareness among government officials, medical professionals, academic institutions, commercial ventures, and the public about this rare disease to enable early detection, advance scientific research and treatment capabilities, and eventually find a cure; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly designate August 17, in 2017 and in each succeeding year, as Coats Disease Awareness Day in Virginia; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates transmit copies of this resolution to the Virginia Board of Optometry, the Virginia Board of Medicine, the Virginia Optometric Association, the American Optometric Association, the Virginia Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, and the Virginia Pediatric Society so that members of these organizations may be apprised of the sense of the General Assembly of Virginia in this matter; and, be it

RESOLVED FINALLY, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates post the designation of this day on the General Assembly’s website.