Pennsylvania HR 124: A Resolution designating the month of September 2025 as "Prostate Cancer Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 994
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 124
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY McNEILL, FREEMAN, GREINER, SANCHEZ, HILL-EVANS,
MADDEN, VITALI, WAXMAN, SAMUELSON, MALAGARI, COOPER, GIRAL,
HANBIDGE, DIAMOND, NEILSON, ZIMMERMAN, RIVERA, D. WILLIAMS,
BELLMON, CERRATO, HOHENSTEIN AND SCHLOSSBERG, MARCH 17, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, MARCH 17, 2025
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of September 2025 as "Prostate Cancer
Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, The prostate is a small gland found only in men and
located below the bladder; and
WHEREAS, In some cases, prostate cancer can make the prostate
enlarged; and
WHEREAS, Prostate Cancer Research, a nonprofit organization
under the National Cancer Research Institute, reports that the
risk of prostate cancer increases with age with most cases
diagnosed in men over 50 years of age; and
WHEREAS, According to the Prostate Conditions Education
Council, 1 in 8 American men will get prostate cancer and 1 in
41 men will die from prostate cancer; and
WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society estimates that more than
13,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in 2025 in
Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society estimates that 1,500
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Pennsylvanians will die of prostate cancer in 2025; and
WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
describes symptoms of prostate cancer that include difficulty
starting urination, weak or interrupted flow of urine, trouble
emptying the bladder completely, pain or burning during
urination, blood in the urine and pain in the back, hips or
pelvis; and
WHEREAS, Prostate cancer can be dormant in a person's body
for up to 20 years without symptoms, increasing the chance that
a person may be sick without the person's knowledge; and
WHEREAS, The American Cancer Society recommends that men with
an average risk of prostate cancer start screening for prostate
cancer at 50 years of age; and
WHEREAS, For men at a high risk of developing prostate cancer
and men who have a first-degree relative diagnosed with prostate
cancer at an early age, screening should begin at 45 years of
age; and
WHEREAS, For men at even greater risk, including those with
more than one first-degree relative who had prostate cancer at
an early age, screening should begin at 40 years of age; and
WHEREAS, Men should consult with their physician about the
benefits of screening for prostate cancer; and
WHEREAS, There are two tests used by physicians to screen for
prostate cancer: a prostate-specific antigen test, which
measures the level of prostate-specific antigen in the blood,
and a digital rectal examination, which detects abnormalities of
the prostate; and
WHEREAS, If abnormalities are noted from either screening, a
biopsy may be recommended to assist in diagnosing potential
prostate cancer; and
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WHEREAS, In the 119th Session of the United States Congress,
H.R. 1300 was introduced to provide prostate cancer screenings
and prevention by requiring group health plans and health
insurance policies to provide health insurance coverage of
preventive prostate cancer screenings, without cost-sharing, for
men with a personal or family history of prostate cancer; and
WHEREAS, If Congress were to pass H.R. 1300, men with
federally regulated and state-regulated health coverage could
receive this important and possibly lifesaving care; therefore
be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania designate the month of September
2025 as "Prostate Cancer Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania; and
be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the Congress of the United
States to support H.R. 1300; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
the presiding officers of each house of Congress and each member
of Congress from Pennsylvania.
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