H.Res. 1090

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1090 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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.
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