KINGSTON, N.Y. (NEWS10) – In Legislative Session on Tuesday, the Ulster County Legislature unanimously approved a resolution to declare April as Parkinson’s Awareness Month. Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive disorder that breaks down the nerve cells in the brain, leading to motor impairment and cognitive decline.

Over 90,000 Americans are diagnosed with the disease each year. It is the 14th-highest leading cause of death in the United States.

“Parkinson’s is a serious medical disorder, which does not have a known cure and whose pathology is under researched in the United States,” said Deputy Minority Leader Craig Lopez, who sponsored the resolution. “By approving this Resolution, we are calling on our federal representatives to pass the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act, which will provide better care and treatment plans to patients and increase scholarship on this disease.”

The National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act was introduced by Capital Region Representative Paul Tonko in 2022. It has garnered significant bipartisan support since.