105 STAT. 296 PUBLIC LAW 102-56-JUNE 13, 1991 Public Law 102-56 102d Congress Joint Resolution June 13, 1991 To designate the week beginning June 9, 1991, as "National Scleroderma Awareness [H.J. Res. 219] Week". Whereas scleroderma is a disease caused by excessive production of collagen, the main fibrous component of connective tissue, the effects of which are hardening of the skin and internal org£m.s, such as the esophagus, lungs, kidney, and heart; Whereas approximately 300,000 people in the United States suffer from scleroderma, and women of childbearing years suffer from the disease 3 times more frequently than men; Whereas scleroderma, a painful, crippling, and disfiguring disease, is often progressive and can result in premature death; Whereas the symptoms of scleroderma are variable and therefore complicate and confuse diagnosis of the disease; Whereas the cause of and cure for scleroderma are unknown; and Whereas scleroderma is an orphan disease that requires intensive research to improve treatment and to discover its cause and cure: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the. United States of America in Congress assembled, That the week beginning June 9, 1991, is designated as "National Scleroderma Awareness Week", and the President is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe the week with appropriate ceremonies and activities. Approved June 13, 1991. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—HJ. Res. 219: CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 137 (1991): June 5, considered and passed House. June 6, considered and passed Senate.
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