H.Res. 1287

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1287 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1287

Recognizing stroke as a national health crisis requiring immediate, 
coordinated Federal action, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 14, 2026

Mr. Latimer (for himself and Mrs. Dingell) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

RESOLUTION

Recognizing stroke as a national health crisis requiring immediate, 
coordinated Federal action, and for other purposes.

Whereas stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of 
disability in the United States;
Whereas large vessel occlusion (LVO) strokes account for approximately 15 to 30 
percent of all strokes and are associated with the most severe outcomes;
Whereas mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is a highly effective, evidence-based 
procedure that significantly reduces death and long-term disability in 
eligible LVO stroke patients, while being cost effective;
Whereas despite the proven efficacy of MT, only 3 to 7 percent of all eligible 
ischemic stroke patients in the United States currently receive this 
treatment;
Whereas treatment delays are associated with gaps in prehospital systems, 
including insufficient emergency medical services (EMS) recognition of 
LVO strokes, an absence of standardized triage protocols, and limited 
investment in EMS and public education;
Whereas a recent Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology survey found 
that just 15 percent of EMS medical directors provide stroke education 
biannually and only 33 percent of EMS medical directors use the American 
Stroke Association EMS curriculum;
Whereas time is critical in acute stroke care, and for every minute of treatment 
delay, nearly 2,000,000 neurons are at risk of permanent damage;
Whereas current EMS routing practices often transport patients to the nearest 
hospital regardless of the thrombectomy capability of the hospital, 
resulting in harmful delays from interhospital transfers;
Whereas the guidelines of the American Heart Association and the American Stroke 
Association recommend EMS transport of suspected LVO patients directly 
to thrombectomy-capable centers within a 60-minute transport window 
whenever possible;
Whereas public recognition of stroke symptoms remains low, and only 10 States 
require continuing stroke education for EMS providers;
Whereas stroke is projected to become the leading cause of disability worldwide 
and remain a leading cause of disability in the United States by 2030, 
underscoring the urgent need for proactive national leadership; and
Whereas the Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology's Mission 
Thrombectomy has designated May 15 as ``World Stroke Thrombectomy Day'' 
to support Mission Thrombectomy's campaign to bring awareness to the 
benefits of stroke treatment intervention and the need for access to 
such treatments: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes stroke as a national health crisis requiring 
immediate, coordinated Federal action;
(2) supports the development and implementation of a 
standardized emergency medical services (EMS) training 
curriculum for stroke and large vessel occlusion (LVO) 
recognition;
(3) urges States and regional EMS systems to adopt and 
enforce routing protocols prioritizing direct transport of 
suspected LVO stroke patients to thrombectomy-capable centers 
when within recommended transport times;
(4) encourages increased Federal and State investment in 
public stroke education campaigns to promote timely 9-1-1 
activation;
(5) calls for transparency in stroke center capabilities 
and outcomes to aid EMS routing decisions;
(6) affirms the need for equitable access to mechanical 
thrombectomy and comprehensive stroke care for all Americans, 
regardless of geographic location; and
(7) supports the goals and ideals of a World Stroke 
Thrombectomy Day.
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