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ShareU.S. House of Representatives Passes Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act
The bill, which enjoys strong bi-partisan support, was named for the late actor Christopher Reeve and his wife Dana. Christopher Reeve is a member of the Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Hall of Fame in the category of "Benefactor," inducted in the program's inaugural year of 2005. Dana Reeve is a nominee in the same category for induction in 2007. This year's inductees will be announced at the 3rd annual SCI Hall of Fame Gala on Tuesday, November 6, at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. Formed by NSCIA in 2005, the SCI Hall of Fame was created to celebrate and honor individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to quality of life and advancements toward a better future for all individuals with spinal cord injury.
The landmark legislation encourages coordination of research to prevent redundancies and hasten discovery of better treatments and cures, as well as to improve the daily lives for those living with paralysis. It also permits funding for federal programs which seek to improve the daily lives for those living with paralysis. The Act has three components that support and enhance paralysis research, rehabilitation, and quality of life programs:
Paralysis Research - Expands research on paralysis at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This will encourage collaborative research by connecting scientists conducting similar work to further enhance understanding and speed discovery of better treatments and cures.
Paralysis Rehabilitation and Care - Builds on research to enhance daily function for people with paralysis including a Clinical Trials Network to measure effectiveness of certain rehabilitation tactics and encouraging shared findings on paralysis to improve rehabilitation.
Improving Quality of Life for Persons with Paralysis and Other Physical Disabilities - Works with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve the quality of life and long-term health status of persons with paralysis and other physical disabilities.
"Passage of this legislation today is extremely gratifying," said Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). "We honor the activism of Christopher and Dana Reeve with this bipartisan effort to better treat and, we hope, cure paralysis and other serious motor impairments. Chris and Dana used their visibility to work on behalf of families in all parts of the country who face the challenges of paralysis and impaired mobility. This legislation, passing just days after the third anniversary of Christopher Reeve's death, is part of their legacy," Baldwin said.
Peter Wilderotter, president of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation praised the House and its leadership for quickly passing this historic Act. He also thanked Representatives Tammy Baldwin, Mary Bono (R-CA), James Langevin (D-RI) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) for sponsoring and spearheading this legislation in Christopher and Dana Reeve's names. "Improvements are made every day in spinal cord injury research, but the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act will help to quickly and efficiently stimulate even more progress," added Wilderotter.
The Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act will improve the quality of life for people living with paralysis and mobility impairments from any cause - stroke, ALS, spinal cord injuries, and others. A similar bill, S. 1183, was approved by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and is awaiting action by the full Senate.