The National MS and Parkinson's Disease Registries Act!

PAN is delighted that the National MS and Parkinson's Disease Registries Act has been introduced in the Senate. The Senate bill, S. 1273, was introduced by Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Senate Co-Chair of the Congressional MS Caucus, with original sponsors Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Mark Udall (D-CO), and Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Senate Co-Chairs of the Bicameral Congressional Caucus on Parkinson's Disease. The bill is identical to House bill H.R. 1362.

The National MS and Parkinson's Disease Registries Act will establish separate, permanent, and coordinated MS and Parkinson's disease national registries at the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As you know, we do not have accurate information on how many Americans are battling Parkinson's disease and MS and why. The registries will determine incidence and prevalence of the diseases and lay a foundation for better evaluating and understanding many factors, including geographic clusters of diagnoses, variances in gender ratio, changes in health care practices, and changes in disease burden and population over time. To develop the registries, the CDC will use a methodology that relies on de-identified information from existing databases. Learn more by clicking here.

It is our hope that these registries will facilitate research that may lead to the discovery of breakthrough treatments and one day a cure for Parkinson's, MS, and other neurological diseases. Please ask your Senators to cosponsor S.1273, the National MS and Parkinson's Disease Registries Act.


Please continue to urge your Representative to cosponsor H.R. 1362! Click the alert button to e-mail your Representative today!