| R 260 |
| 2026 -- H 8453 Enacted 04/16/2026 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| COMMEMORATING "NATIONAL INFERTILITY AWARENESS WEEK" ON APRIL 19-25, 2026, IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND |
Introduced By: Representatives McNamara, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Chippendale, Kennedy, Ajello, Tanzi, Santucci, Cortvriend, and Boylan |
| Date Introduced: April 16, 2026 |
| WHEREAS, According to RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, 1 in 6 people |
| worldwide experience infertility, making it a prevalent public health concern that impacts |
| millions of families; and |
| WHEREAS, The World Health Organization and the American Medical Association |
| define infertility as a disease, recognizing that it can result from medical, genetic, environmental, |
| or unexplained causes; and |
| WHEREAS, Infertility affects women and men equally and does not discriminate based |
| on race, religion, sexual orientation, marital status or socioeconomic level; and |
| WHEREAS, The LGBTQI+ community also faces challenges when building their |
| families; and |
| WHEREAS, All people challenged in their family-building journey should have access to |
| all family-building options. Families facing obstacles while trying to start or expand can have |
| profound emotional, psychological and financial impacts, including stress, anxiety, depression, |
| and significant out-of-pocket expenses; and |
| WHEREAS, Family-building options include adoption, assisted reproductive |
| technologies, in vitro fertilization (IVF), third-party reproduction, and fertility preservation. |
| Access to these options is essential to ensuring reproductive equity for all individuals and |
| couples; and |
| WHEREAS, Cost and lack of insurance coverage are challenges for many in our State to |
| access the family-building option they need; and |
| WHEREAS, Raising awareness about infertility and the barriers faced by the family- |
| building community is the first step to removing these barriers, reducing stigma, supporting |
| affected individuals and families, and improving access to care; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby |
| joins RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, dedicated volunteers, health care |
| professionals, and members of the infertility and family-building community in commemorating |
| and participating in “National Infertility Awareness Week” on April 19-25, 2026, in the State of |
| Rhode Island; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to CEO Danielle Melfi, RESOLVE: The National |
| Infertility Association. |
| ======== |
| LC004541 |
| ======== |