H.Res. 1195 — Introduced in House

IV 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1195 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 6, 2024Mrs. Cammack (for herself and Mr. Carter of Louisiana) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce RESOLUTION Expressing support for the goals and ideals of National Speech-Language-Hearing Month. Whereas the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association for decades championed Better Hearing and Speech Month, now known as National Speech-Language-Hearing Month; Whereas communication disorders are among the most common conditions in children and adults, affecting tens of millions of people in the United States; Whereas unaddressed difficulties with speech, language, hearing, and swallowing can negatively impact academic, employment, and social success, as well as quality of life; Whereas audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment, including hearing aids, and speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech, language, swallowing, and cognitive-communication disorders; Whereas hearing loss can be present at birth, happen instantly, or, most commonly, develop over time from excessive noise exposure, aging, or a combination of factors; Whereas the number of adults in the United States 20 years or older with hearing loss is expected to increase from 44,100,000 in 2020 to 73,500,000 million by 2060; Whereas at least 46,000,000 people in the United States have a hearing or other communication disorder that affects how they engage with their environment; Whereas 3,000,000 Americans who stutter may face mockery, bullying, and social stigma, with inadequate access to resources and treatment that can help them speak more confidently; Whereas uneven coverage of and access to speech, language, and hearing health care contributes to significant disparities in health outcomes; Whereas timely access to diagnosis and treatment for communication disorders by audiologists and speech-language pathologists and other qualified health care professionals can reverse or prevent many communication disorders, improve outcomes and reduce overall cost of care; and Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Speech-Language-Hearing Month provides an opportunity to raise awareness about hearing and speech problems, and to encourage people with those problems to seek appropriate care: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives supports— (1) the goals and ideals of National Speech-Language-Hearing Month; and (2) efforts to improve access to hearing, balance, speech, language, swallowing, and cognitive care.