HB 589

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

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.