HouseH.Res. 1090119th Congress
Expressing support for the designation of February 2026 as "Low Vision and Vision Impairment Awareness Month".
Full Text
Official text as published. Use Ctrl+F / Cmd+F to search within the document.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1090 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1090
Expressing support for the designation of February 2026 as ``Low Vision
and Vision Impairment Awareness Month''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 26, 2026
Mr. Veasey (for himself and Mr. Bilirakis) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for the designation of February 2026 as ``Low Vision
and Vision Impairment Awareness Month''.
Whereas, according to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness
(IAPB), 90 percent of vision or sight loss is preventable or treatable
and yet the global economy loses an estimated $411 billion to
unaddressed vision problems each year;
Whereas, according to the IAPB, over 2 billion people globally live with vision
impairment and yet approximately 1 billion people live with vision loss
that could have been avoided or treated;
Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
approximately 12 million people over the age of 40 in the United States
have vision impairment, including 1 million people with blindness and an
estimated 4.2 million people over age 40 have an uncorrectable vision
impairment;
Whereas, according to Prevent Blindness, vision problems will cost the U.S.
nearly $206 billion in 2026 in medical costs, productivity losses, long-
term care costs, and government program costs, placing significant
strain on families, employers, and public programs;
Whereas, according to Prevent Blindness, by 2050, the impaired and blind
populations are projected to reach 7.3 million and 3.1 million,
respectively, and, by 2050, the number of Americans with advanced-stage,
age-related macular degeneration will double to 4.4 million, glaucoma
prevalence will increase to 5.5 million, cataract will grow to 45.6
million, and the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy will increase to
13.2 million;
Whereas, according to the CDC, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in
adults and patients who have diabetes may often be unaware of the damage
occurring to their eyes, specifically in the early stages, which makes
early detection, disease monitoring, and treatment of diabetes-related
eye disease a significant public health priority that can reduce the
risk of blindness by 90 percent;
Whereas, according to the National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health
(NCCVEH), one out of every 122 children in the U.S., including one out
of every 137 children aged 0-11 and one out of every 102 children aged
12-17 have uncorrectable vision loss, non-Hispanic Black children have
the highest rates of vision loss and blindness, one out of every 89
Black children have vision loss, one out of every 1,000 are permanently
blind, and approximately 760,000 children enrolled in Medicaid and State
Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) insurance coverage were
diagnosed in 2019 with either amblyopia (360,000 children) or strabismus
(486,000 children);
Whereas, according to the NCCVEH, a child's vision develops and changes from
birth through childhood; thus, necessitating that a child should be
screened regularly, referred to eye care, and receive any needed
treatment and follow-up to care to ensure vision problems are caught
early and permanent vision loss is avoided;
Whereas, according to the NCCVEH, while early detection and intervention for
vision disorders in children are part of national goals and health care
standards, there is currently no existing program in the United States
that specifically addresses children's vision and eye health despite
investments in other aspects of child health such as hearing and oral
health;
Whereas, according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and
Medicine (NASEM), the average age for myopia onset is 11 years with a
range of onset from 7 to 16 years with potentially lifelong consequences
including retinal detachment, age-related macular degeneration,
glaucoma, and other potentially blinding eye conditions;
Whereas, according to the NASEM, the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, in collaboration with departments of education at the State
level, should take measures to ensure that children receive a vision
screening before first grade and a comprehensive eye exam when needed,
and that an integrated, national data surveillance system is needed for
collecting State-level data on vision screening, referrals to eye care
providers, sociodemographic (age, race/ethnicity, sex, and geographic
location), and outcomes of referrals;
Whereas, according to the NASEM, vision screenings held at community health
centers and Federally qualified health centers are promising ways to
connect underserved populations to vision care and that vision
screenings programs should include a follow-up component to ensure eye
care was received, which can be successfully executed with the
partnership of eye care providers, public health units, public insurance
plans (such as Medicaid and CHIP), early intervention, and school-based
services;
Whereas, according to the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (NAEVR),
vision researchers are at the forefront of groundbreaking advancements
in gene therapies, imaging technologies, artificial intelligence, big
data, and regenerative medicine;
Whereas, according to the NAEVR, the U.S. is spending over $587 per American on
the treatment of vision disorders this year, while only spending $2.64
per American on research, highlighting an opportunity to strengthen
prevention and innovation efforts;
Whereas, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI), our national investment
in vision research has led to major advances in the prevention and
treatment of eye diseases and visual disorders through pioneering
research and technologies;
Whereas, according to the CDC, vision disability is one of the top 10
disabilities among adults 18 years and older, and the prevalence of
vision impairments increases with age;
Whereas, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS),
Medicare does not usually cover routine vision services such as
eyeglasses, eye exams, or contact lenses neither does it cover low
vision devices or assistive technologies for loss of functional vision,
but glaucoma and diabetes-related eye disease screenings and exams, and
certain diagnostic tests and treatments for patients with age-related
macular degeneration, are covered benefits;
Whereas those suffering from vision impairments or blindness are more likely to
develop dementia and have trouble with reading, cooking, and driving,
trouble in dim light, fading or other changes in color perception, and
difficulty recognizing familiar faces, which can increase reliance on
caregivers and public services;
Whereas, due to medical innovation, a variety of effective treatments across the
spectrum of vision impairments and blindness are available, can help
preserve or improve vision, and may one day reverse the effects of
retinal diseases and vision loss; and
Whereas many blinding eye conditions across the age spectrum that result in
vision loss or blindness are highly preventable and treatable when met
with timely prevention, health promotion, early detection, intervention,
and access to care; given the cost-effectiveness of preventing vision
loss, visual impairment, and blinding eye diseases before they happen
compared to the high cost of treating and managing vision loss, visual
impairments, and blinding eye diseases after they have occurred; in
consideration of a rapidly aging population who face changes to the
structure and function of the eye as a result of the aging process; and
with the promise of significant advancements in treatment, access, and
innovation on the horizon as a result of opportunities in vision
research: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) expresses support for raising awareness about low
vision and vision impairment;
(2) recognizes the impact of preventable vision impairment
and blindness on Americans, including effects on personal
independence, quality of life, workforce participation,
community health, national productivity, and health care costs;
(3) supports access to appropriate and relevant health
information about risk for eye disease and vision impairments
in working age adults and aging Americans--particularly as they
relate to chronic disease--and supports access to appropriate
health information regarding access to vision care and eye
health services at the appropriate practice level (such as
optometrists, ophthalmologists, or retina specialists) and
community level (such as in community health centers or
federally qualified health centers);
(4) promotes access to appropriate and relevant information
including access to eye care, support services, and assistive
devices to parents, caregivers, families, providers, and
communities about the importance of optimal vision to a child's
cognitive functioning and motor skill development, social
engagement and emotional connection, learning and academic
success, and long-term personal and occupational opportunity;
and
(5) affirms the commitment of Congress to encourage the
Secretary of Health and Human Services to--
(A) provide information to patients and health care
providers with respect to age-related macular
degeneration, including geographic atrophy,
neurological causes of vision loss, cataracts,
glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, refractive errors, dry
eye, amblyopia, color blindness, and other eye
diseases, including available screening tools and
treatment options, with a goal of improving quality of
life and health outcomes;
(B) prioritize and conduct essential surveillance
of vision loss, eye disease, and eye conditions that
lead to vision loss, visual impairment, low vision, and
blindness through the Vision and Eye Health
Surveillance System (VEHSS);
(C) conduct additional research on the
aforementioned eye diseases and others, including
appropriate support services and treatments; and
(D) convene patients, caregivers, and eye care
providers and researchers to develop and disseminate
evidence-based information, tools, and studies to help
Americans experiencing the aforementioned eye diseases
and others related to vision impairment and blindness
preserve, protect, and support their vision health.
<all>