IV 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 867 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 13, 2023 Mr. Neguse (for himself, Mr. Fitzpatrick , Mr. Allred , Mr. Carter of Louisiana , Ms. Chu , Mr. Cleaver , Mr. Grijalva , Ms. Pettersen , Mr. Tonko , and Mr. Trone ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce RESOLUTION Expressing support for the designation of November 9, 2023, as National Microtia and Atresia Awareness Day .

Whereas microtia is a congenital anomaly, affecting the outer ear, where the ear does not fully develop during the first trimester of pregnancy; Whereas microtia is often accompanied by aural atresia, which is the absence or closure of the external auditory ear canal resulting in hearing loss; Whereas it is estimated that there are 750,000 people worldwide with microtia; Whereas microtia is diagnosed at birth, affecting one ear or both ears, but there is no understanding as to why microtia occurs; Whereas aural atresia is usually diagnosed at birth, affecting one ear or both ears, but in some cases may not be recognized until later in life; Whereas doctors and nurses may be informed of microtia and aural atresia, in certain settings, the conditions are rare enough that misinformation or lack of information on options and services, quickly evaporates any remaining sense of celebration that accompanies a birth; and Whereas living with facial challenges such as craniofacial microsomia and hearing loss, as well as the longing for social acceptance, are some of the daily concerns for individuals who are born with microtia or aural atresia: Now, therefore, be it