Florida Senate - 2026                                     SB 578
       
       
        
       By Senator Simon
       
       
       
       
       
       3-00242A-26                                            2026578__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness
    3         Initiative; creating s. 430.505, F.S.; requiring the
    4         Department of Elderly Affairs to contract for the
    5         development and implementation of the Alzheimer’s
    6         Disease Awareness Initiative; providing requirements
    7         for the initiative; providing requirements for the
    8         entity with which the department contracts to develop
    9         and implement the initiative; requiring the
   10         Alzheimer’s Disease Advisory Committee to make certain
   11         recommendations to the department and the Legislature
   12         annually; providing an effective date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Section 430.505, Florida Statutes, is created to
   17  read:
   18         430.505 Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Initiative.—
   19         (1) The Department of Elderly Affairs shall contract for
   20  the development and implementation of the Alzheimer’s Disease
   21  Awareness Initiative. The initiative must provide an opportunity
   22  for residents affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related forms
   23  of dementia to benefit from greater support and to obtain
   24  information that is validated in national research.
   25         (2) The initiative must, at a minimum:
   26         (a) Include a website and other related electronic
   27  resources that will address all of the following:
   28         1. The advantages of early detection and diagnosis.
   29         2. How to reduce risk factors.
   30         3. The importance of brain health.
   31         4. The importance of talking to a professional about being
   32  screened and assessed for Alzheimer’s disease and related forms
   33  of dementia.
   34         5. How to promote healthy aging.
   35         6. Recent progress in Alzheimer’s research and the
   36  availability of clinical trials.
   37         7. Community resources available for those affected by
   38  Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia.
   39         8. Any related topic deemed appropriate by the department.
   40         (b) Use the Department of Elderly Affairs’ Alzheimer’s
   41  Disease and Related Dementias Resource Guide as a part of the
   42  initiative materials.
   43         (c) Promote health care provider education in partnership
   44  with the Department of Health to help improve care and services
   45  for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of
   46  dementia in accordance with s. 381.825.
   47         (d) Use varied forms of advertising for public events,
   48  including, but not limited to, print advertising, digital
   49  advertising, and advertising on social media platforms.
   50         (e) Include a statewide mobile in-person outreach program
   51  that prioritizes those in underserved communities and provides
   52  information on issues relating to Alzheimer’s disease and
   53  related forms of dementia, including, but not limited to, brain
   54  health, risk education, early detection, and diagnosis. The
   55  program may also provide referrals to the department and provide
   56  information regarding any available community resources relating
   57  to Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia.
   58         (3)(a) The entity with which the department contracts to
   59  develop and implement the Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness
   60  Initiative must be a statewide nonprofit organization that:
   61         1. Has a history of focusing on care and support for those
   62  affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia,
   63  including providing online resources to caregivers and people
   64  living with the disease and through community-based events and
   65  supporting Alzheimer disease research; and
   66         2. Has the organizational capacity to manage a statewide
   67  initiative and successfully carry out the requirements of this
   68  section.
   69         (b) The entity shall collaborate with other relevant state
   70  agencies and private organizations to develop and implement the
   71  initiative. Such agencies shall collaborate with the entity to
   72  carry out the initiative.
   73         (4) The Alzheimer’s Disease Advisory Committee shall
   74  annually evaluate the effectiveness of the initiative and make
   75  recommendations to the department and the Legislature concerning
   76  the need for future funding for the Alzheimer’s Disease
   77  Awareness Initiative each year as a part of the advisory
   78  committee’s annual report.
   79         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.