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Bill

ACR 160

Relative to Parkinson's Awareness Month.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Dawn Addis and 69 co-sponsors

Designates April 2026 as Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month in California to recognize the condition, its public health impact, and ongoing research efforts.

In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.
#parkinson'sdiseaseawarenessmonth
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Bill Summary · ACR 160

Summary of ACR 160 (2025-2026) — Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month

Purpose and Intent

  • ACR 160 is a California Assembly Concurrent Resolution that proclaims April 2026 as Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month in California.
  • The measure expresses the Legislature’s intent to recognize Parkinson’s disease as a significant public health issue, highlight ongoing research, and honor those affected, caregivers, researchers, and clinicians.

Key Provisions and Changes

  • Proclamation: The resolution designates the month of April 2026 as Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month in California.
  • Civic and public health framing: It underscores the impact of Parkinson’s disease as a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative condition and highlights its status as a growing public health concern.
  • Context and supporting information: The digest accompanying the bill provides:
    • Overview of Parkinson’s disease symptoms (motor and nonmotor) and its progressive nature.
    • Data points on prevalence, mortality (15th leading cause of death per CDC), and caregiver impact.
    • Economic costs: estimated $52 billion annual national burden; California-specific costs cited as about $5.8 billion annually in direct and indirect health care costs; burdens distributed between federal, state, and private costs.
    • California infrastructure and data resources: references the California Parkinson’s Disease Registry (established 2017, operational 2018) and the broader California Neurodegenerative Disease Registry with partnerships with major health systems.
    • Research advances: mentions the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) and the 2023-2024 biomarker validation milestone announced by the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
    • Environmental considerations: notes potential links between environmental exposures (including pesticides) and Parkinson’s risk, and references AB 1963 (2024) concerning pesticide registration and reevaluation.
    • Ongoing need for investment: calls for continued public and private investment in biomedical research, early detection, and data infrastructure to accelerate progress.
  • Legislative mechanics: The resolution includes standard “now, therefore” language directing the Chief Clerk of the Assembly to transmit copies of the resolution to the author for distribution.

Who Is Affected

  • Broadly affects California residents by acknowledging Parkinson’s disease awareness month.
  • Raises visibility for:
    • People living with Parkinson’s disease and their families and caregivers.
    • Healthcare providers, researchers, universities, health systems, and public health agencies involved in Parkinson’s and neurodegenerative disease research and care.
    • Stakeholders involved in environmental health policy and pesticide regulation (given the discussion of environmental factors).

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Status: The bill advanced through the California Legislature during the 2025–2026 Regular Session.
  • Action history (highlights):
    • Introduced March 18, 2026.
    • Passed in various stages, with final adoption dated May 7, 2026, and subsequent transmission to the Senate for concurrence March–April 2026 activities noted in the record.
  • Effective date: As a concurrent resolution, it becomes official upon adoption; it does not create new law or state spending but designates a commemorative period.

Additional Context

  • The bill references California’s existing and evolving data infrastructure (Parkinson’s Registry and Neurodegenerative Registry) as a foundation for ongoing surveillance, research, and public health planning.
  • While the resolution itself does not authorize new programs or funding, it aligns with broader science, health, and environmental health policy discussions in California.

If you’d like, I can tailor this summary for a particular audience (legislative staff, advocacy groups, or the general public) or add a side-by-side comparison to prior Parkinson’s awareness resolutions.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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