2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 78
Designating September, in 2026 and in each succeeding year, as Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month in Virginia.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 11, 2026
Agreed to by the Senate, March 3, 2026
WHEREAS, pulmonary fibrosis is a deadly lung-scarring disease with no true cure and limited treatment options, which only slow progression; while lung transplantation can mitigate the disease for certain patients, the procedure is only available to a small number of individuals and may result in additional complications; and
WHEREAS, nearly 50,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis every year; and
WHEREAS, Virginia Commonwealth University Health System has made significant contributions in the field of pulmonary fibrosis over the past two decades and was recently designated as a Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Care Center; and
WHEREAS, other Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Care Centers in the Commonwealth include Inova Fairfax Medical Campus in Falls Church and the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville; and
WHEREAS, in 2012, the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation established the month of September as national Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month to help unify the pulmonary fibrosis community and increase public awareness and research on behalf of this deadly disease; and