LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION recognizing the March of Dimes upon the occasion
of celebrating its 75th Anniversary

WHEREAS, The March of Dimes Foundation is a pioneer in improving the
health of infants and women of childbearing age by preventing birth
defects, premature birth and infant mortality; and
WHEREAS, The March of Dimes was founded by President Franklin D.
Roosevelt in 1938 to fight polio, and funded the development of two
vaccines - still in use today - that virtually eliminated the crippling
disease; and
WHEREAS, The March of Dimes, in 1958, having achieved its initial
mission, shifted its attention from polio to the prevention of birth
defects, and through federal and state advocacy led the way in estab-
lishing a nationwide network of birth defects monitoring programs and
research centers; and
WHEREAS, The March of Dimes has undertaken decades of groundbreaking
research in maternal and child health, which has led to the discovery of
lifesaving products and tests such as surfactant therapy for premature
infants and tests to identify life-threatening birth defects; and
WHEREAS, The March of Dimes was a pioneer in the support of newborn
screening, urging Congress to pass and fund the Newborn Screening Saves
Lives Act, which in 2008, established national guidelines on the condi-
tions states should include in newborn programs, and through state advo-
cacy ensured that every state screens all newborns for that core set of
conditions; and
WHEREAS, The March of Dimes is a long-time advocate for access to
health care for women of childbearing age, infants, children, and fami-
lies, ensuring they have access to private and public health coverage
under private coverage, the State Children's Health Insurance Program,
Medicaid, Title V Block Grant, and the Affordable Care Act; and
WHEREAS, The March of Dimes in 2003 launched the Prematurity Campaign
to address the crisis of premature birth and help families have full-
term, healthy babies, and authored the Premature Research Expansion and
Education Act for Mothers (PREEMIE) Act, which Congress enacted in 2006
to expand research, education, and services to fight premature births;
and
WHEREAS, The March of Dimes has set a national goal of reducing
preterm births to 9.6% in every state by 2020, which will result in a
healthier start in life for tens of thousands of infants; and
WHEREAS, The March of Dimes sponsors numerous programs to support
healthy pregnancies and infants, such as its work to prevent early elec-
tive deliveries and the NICU Family Support program; and
WHEREAS, The March of Dimes and its volunteers continue to advocate
for national and state health policies and programs that affect women of
childbearing age, infants, children, and families; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that the March of
Dimes should be commended for its efforts to give every child a healthy
start in life through programs of research, education, community
services and advocacy; and
WHEREAS, All New Yorkers should celebrate this year by supporting the
efforts of the March of Dimes; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
recognize the March of Dimes upon the occasion of celebrating its 75th
Anniversary; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the March of Dimes.