HR 443 — A Resolution recognizing the month of May 2026 as "Mental Health Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.

PRINTER'S NO.    3017

                  THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



           HOUSE RESOLUTION
              No. 443
                                              Session of
                                                2026

     INTRODUCED BY CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, SCHLOSSBERG, CONKLIN, McNEILL,
        VENKAT, WAXMAN, HILL-EVANS, SAPPEY, RIVERA, FREEMAN, KHAN,
        SANCHEZ, VITALI, HOHENSTEIN, ISAACSON, OTTEN, MERSKI,
        ZIMMERMAN, GALLAGHER, NEILSON, MENTZER, CIRESI, MAYES,
        DOUGHERTY, COOPER, BOYD, PARKER AND DEASY, MARCH 17, 2026

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, MARCH 18, 2026


                               A RESOLUTION
 1   Recognizing the month of May 2026 as "Mental Health Awareness
 2      Month" in Pennsylvania.
 3      WHEREAS, Mental health is critical to the overall well-being
 4   of individuals, families, communities and businesses; and
 5      WHEREAS, Mental illnesses are biologically based brain
 6   disorders that cannot be overcome through willpower and are not
 7   related to an individual's character or intelligence; and
 8      WHEREAS, Mental health issues can affect individuals of any
 9   race, religion, economic status or age; and
10      WHEREAS, Mental illnesses usually strike individuals in the
11   prime of their lives, often during adolescence and young
12   adulthood; and
13      WHEREAS, Individuals with mental illness have the same needs
14   and are guaranteed the same rights as all Americans; and
15      WHEREAS, Individuals with mental illness experience
16   discrimination in education, employment and housing; and
 1      WHEREAS, A lack of full and proper treatment for individuals
 2   with mental illness costs public and private employers hundreds
 3   of billions of dollars annually through absenteeism, turnover
 4   and low productivity; and
 5      WHEREAS, In 2021, the National Institutes of Health estimated
 6   that more than 20% of adolescents 12 to 17 years of age, a
 7   population of 5 million adolescents, experienced a major
 8   depressive episode (MDE); and
 9      WHEREAS, Individuals are classified as having an MDE if they
10   experience a depressed mood or loss of interest in daily
11   activities and have additional symptoms, including problems with
12   sleep, eating, energy, concentration or self-worth, over a
13   certain period of time; and
14      WHEREAS, The National Institute of Mental Health estimates
15   that approximately 59.3 million adults in the United States have
16   a mental illness that includes a mental, behavioral or emotional
17   disorder; and
18      WHEREAS, Proper identification and treatment of mental
19   illnesses, including support, are proven to be effective and are
20   vitally important to assist individuals in leading full,
21   productive lives; therefore be it
22      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
23   month of May 2026 as "Mental Health Awareness Month" in
24   Pennsylvania; and be it further
25      RESOLVED, That all government agencies, public and private
26   institutions, businesses, schools and residents of this
27   Commonwealth strive to increase awareness and understanding of
28   mental illnesses and the need for appropriate and accessible
29   services for individuals with mental illness throughout the
30   communities of this Commonwealth.

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