THE BILL ITSELF
HR 8029
World Sickle Cell Awareness Day
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House Resolution
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A resolution recognizing June 19, 2026, as "World
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Sickle Cell Awareness Day" in the State of Florida.
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WHEREAS, sickle cell disease refers to a group of inherited
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disorders that affect red blood cells, and
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WHEREAS, sickle cell disease is a disease in which a
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person's body produces abnormally shaped red blood cells that
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resemble a crescent or sickle and that do not last as long as
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normal, round red blood cells, which leads to anemia, and
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WHEREAS, the sickle cells also get stuck in blood vessels
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and block blood flow, resulting in vaso-occlusive crises, which
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can cause pain and organ damage, and
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WHEREAS, one common type of sickle cell disease is sickle
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cell anemia, in which individuals with the disease are born with
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two sickle cell genes, each inherited from one parent, and
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WHEREAS, an individual with only one sickle cell gene has a
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"sickle cell trait," which occurs in about 1 out of every 12
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African Americans and 1 out of every 100 Hispanic Americans, and
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WHEREAS, the United States Centers for Disease Control and
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Prevention estimates that sickle cell disease affects
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approximately 100,000 Americans, and occurs among about 1 in
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every 365 Black or African-American births and 1 out of every
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16,300 Hispanic-American births, and
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WHEREAS, more than 8,000 Floridians have sickle cell
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disease, and
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WHEREAS, the National Institutes of Health is working on
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innovative genetic therapies that could someday cure sickle cell
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disease, and
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WHEREAS, the United States Food and Drug Administration has
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granted orphan drug designation to sickle cell therapies a
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designation that provides incentives and encourages the
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development of therapies for rare diseases, and
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WHEREAS, sickle cell disease is a chronic condition that
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can affect any organ, including the kidneys, lungs, and spleen,
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and research indicates that patients experience many severe
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complications, including stroke, infections, and pulmonary
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embolism, and have a shorter life expectancy than the general
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population, and
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WHEREAS, vaso-occlusive crises are a common, painful
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complication of sickle cell disease in adolescents and adults
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which may occur several times a year; and these recurrent
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episodes induce severe pain, decrease quality of life, cause
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life-threatening complications such as stroke, and are
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associated with increased mortality, and
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WHEREAS, vaso-occlusive crises can cause intense pain that
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lasts anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks, and
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WHEREAS, sickle cell disease can be a life-threatening
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condition leading to a 20 to 30-year reduction in life
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expectancy, and
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WHEREAS, individuals living with sickle cell disease
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encounter barriers to obtaining quality care and improving their
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quality of life, and these barriers include limitations in
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geographic access to comprehensive care, the varied use of
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effective treatments, lack of insurance, and the limited number
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of health care providers with knowledge and experience to manage
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and treat sickle cell disease, and
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WHEREAS, while there is no widely available cure for sickle
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cell disease, one-time gene therapies, including gene editing
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therapeutic approaches, are being developed and may offer
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potential cures for some patients, and
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WHEREAS, curative therapies for sickle cell disease may
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offer substantial savings over the patient's lifetime by
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avoiding the cost of future health services, NOW, THEREFORE,
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Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of
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Florida:
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That June 19, 2026, is recognized as "World Sickle Cell
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Awareness Day" in the State of Florida.