A HOUSE RESOLUTION honoring the march of dimes on its seventy‑fifth anniversary.
Whereas, the March of Dimes Foundation is a pioneer in improving the health of infants and women of childbearing age by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality; and
Whereas, the March of Dimes was founded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938 to fight polio, and funded the development of two vaccines, still in use today, that virtually eliminated the crippling disease; and
Whereas, the March of Dimes, in 1958, having achieved its initial mission, shifted its attention from polio to the prevention of birth defects and, through federal and state advocacy, led the way in establishing a nationwide network of birth defects monitoring programs and research centers; and
Whereas, the March of Dimes has undertaken decades of groundbreaking research in maternal and child health, which has led to the discovery of lifesaving products and tests such as surfactant therapy for premature infants and tests to identify life‑threatening birth defects; and
Whereas, the March of Dimes was a pioneer in the support of newborn screening, urging Congress to pass and fund the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act, which in 2008 established national guidelines on the conditions states should include in newborn programs, and through state advocacy ensured that every state screens all newborns for that core set of conditions; and
Whereas, the March of Dimes is a long‑time advocate for access to health care for women of childbearing age, infants, children, and families, ensuring they have access to private and public health coverage under private coverage, the State Children's Health Insurance Program, Medicaid, Title V Block Grant, and the Affordable Care Act; and
Whereas, the March of Dimes in 2003 launched the Prematurity Campaign to address the crisis of premature birth and help families have full‑term healthy babies and authored the Premature Research Expansion and Education Act for Mothers (PREEMIE) Act, which Congress enacted in 2006 to expand research, education, and services to fight premature births; and
Whereas, the March of Dimes has set a national goal of reducing preterm birth to 9.6% in every state by 2020, which will result in a healthier start in life for tens of thousands of infants; and
Whereas, the March of Dimes sponsors numerous programs to support healthy pregnancies and infants, such as its work to prevent early elective deliveries and the NICU Family Support program; and
Whereas, the March of Dimes and its volunteers continue to advocate for national and state health policies and programs that affect women of childbearing age, infants, children, and families; Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
SECTION 1.  The House of Representatives honors the memory of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who established the March of Dimes, and joins the North Carolina Chapter on its observance of the 75th anniversary of the March of Dimes.
SECTION 2.  This resolution is effective upon adoption.