Florida Senate - 2009 SB 260
By Senator Wise
5-00218-09 2009260__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to Alzheimer's disease; creating s.
3 430.5025, F.S.; directing the Department of Elderly
4 Affairs to develop and implement a public education
5 program relating to screening for Alzheimer's disease;
6 providing criteria for awarding grants; providing a
7 definition; requiring grant recipients to submit an
8 evaluation of certain activities to the department;
9 authorizing the department to provide technical
10 support; requiring an annual report to the
11 Legislature; requiring the department to conduct or
12 support a study on memory-impairment screening;
13 requiring a report to the Legislature; providing an
14 effective date.
15
16 WHEREAS, Alzheimer's disease is a slow, progressive
17 disorder of the brain which results in loss of memory and other
18 cognitive functions, is the eighth leading cause of death in the
19 United States, and currently affects an estimated 5 million
20 Americans, with that number expected to increase to 16 million
21 by mid-century, and
22 WHEREAS, Alzheimer's disease strikes approximately 1 in 10
23 people over the age of 65 and nearly half of those who are age
24 85 or older, although some people develop symptoms as young as
25 age 40, and
26 WHEREAS, Alzheimer's disease takes an enormous toll on
27 family members who are the caregivers for individuals having the
28 disease, and
29 WHEREAS, caregivers for individuals who have Alzheimer's
30 disease suffer more stress, depression, and health problems than
31 caregivers for individuals who have other illnesses, and
32 WHEREAS, Alzheimer's disease costs United States businesses
33 more than $60 billion annually due to lost productivity and
34 absenteeism by primary caregivers and increased insurance costs,
35 and
36 WHEREAS, recent advancements in scientific research have
37 demonstrated the benefits of early medical treatment for persons
38 who have Alzheimer's disease and the benefits of early access to
39 counseling and other support services for their caregivers, and
40 WHEREAS, research shows that several medications have been
41 developed which can reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease,
42 that persons begin to benefit most when these medications are
43 taken in the early stages of a memory disorder, and that this
44 intervention may extend the period during which patients can be
45 cared for at home, thereby significantly reducing the costs of
46 institutional care, and
47 WHEREAS, with early diagnosis, patients can participate in
48 decisions regarding their care and their families can take
49 advantage of support services that can reduce caregiver
50 depression and related health problems, and
51 WHEREAS, in direct response to research breakthroughs,
52 National Memory Screening Day was established as a collaborative
53 effort by organizations and health care professionals across the
54 country to promote awareness and early detection of memory
55 impairments, and
56 WHEREAS, on National Memory Screening Day, which is held on
57 the third Tuesday of November in recognition of National
58 Alzheimer's Disease Month, health care professionals administer
59 free memory screenings at hundreds of sites throughout the
60 United States, and
61 WHEREAS, memory screening is used as an indicator of
62 whether a person might benefit from more extensive testing to
63 determine whether a memory or cognitive impairment exists and
64 identifies persons who may benefit from medical attention but is
65 not used to diagnose any illness and in no way replaces
66 examination by a qualified physician, NOW, THEREFORE,
67
68 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
69
70 Section 1. Section 430.5025, Florida Statutes, is created
71 to read:
72 430.5025 Memory impairment screening; grants.—
73 (1) The Department of Elderly Affairs shall develop and
74 implement a public education program relating to screening for
75 memory impairment and the importance of early diagnosis and
76 treatment of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.
77 (2) The department may award grants to qualifying entities
78 to support the development, expansion, or operation of programs
79 that provide:
80 (a) Information and education on the importance of memory
81 screening for early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's
82 disease and related disorders.
83 (b) Screenings for memory impairment.
84 (3) As used in this section, the term “qualifying entities”
85 means public and nonprofit private entities that provide
86 services and care to individuals who have Alzheimer's disease or
87 related disorders and their caregivers and families.
88 (4) When awarding grants under this section, the department
89 shall give preference to applicants that:
90 (a) Have demonstrated experience in promoting public
91 education and awareness of the importance of memory screening or
92 providing memory-screening services.
93 (b) Have established arrangements with health care
94 providers and other organizations to provide screenings for
95 memory impairment in a manner that is convenient to individuals
96 in the communities served by the applicants.
97 (c) Provide matching funds.
98 (5) A qualifying entity that receives a grant under this
99 section shall submit to the department an evaluation that
100 describes activities carried out with funds received under this
101 section, the long-term effectiveness of such activities in
102 promoting early detection of memory impairment, and any other
103 information that the department requires.
104 (6) The department may set aside an amount not to exceed 15
105 percent of the total amount appropriated for the fiscal year to
106 provide grantees with technical support in the development,
107 implementation, and evaluation of memory-screening programs.
108 (7) A grant may be awarded under subsection (2) only if an
109 application for the grant is submitted to the department and the
110 application is in the form, is made in the manner, and contains
111 the agreements, assurances, and information that the department
112 determines are necessary to carry out the purposes of this
113 section.
114 (8) The department shall annually submit to the President
115 of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a
116 report on the activities carried out under this section,
117 including provisions describing the extent to which the
118 activities have affected the rate of screening for memory
119 impairment and have improved outcomes for patients and
120 caregivers.
121 Section 2. Study on screening for memory impairment.—
122 (1) The Department of Elderly Affairs shall conduct or
123 provide support for a study on screening for memory impairment.
124 The study shall analyze scientific evidence regarding techniques
125 for memory screening, assess the availability of memory
126 screening on a nationwide basis, and identify strategies to
127 expand screening services through public-private partnerships to
128 improve outcomes for patients and caregivers.
129 (2) The department shall, not later than 12 months after
130 this section becomes law, prepare and submit to the relevant
131 substantive committees of the Senate and the House of
132 Representatives a report that describes the results of the study
133 conducted under this section. The report shall include specific
134 recommendations to increase awareness of the importance of early
135 detection of memory impairment and to improve access to memory
136 screening services nationwide by supporting and expanding
137 existing screening efforts in the private sector.
138 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.