SENATE DOCKET, NO. 49        FILED ON: 1/14/2011

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1126

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Michael O. Moore

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to the Massachusetts Alzheimers Project.

_______________

PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 49        FILED ON: 1/14/2011

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1126

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Eleven

_______________

An Act relative to the Massachusetts Alzheimers Project.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

                SECTION 1. Office of the Massachusetts Alzheimer's Project.

                (a) There is established in the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services the Massachusetts Alzheimer?s Project (referred to in this Act as the "Project").

                (b) The purpose of the project shall:

                                (1) accelerate the development of treatments that would prevent, halt, or reverse the course of Alzheimer's;

                                (2) be responsible for the creation and maintenance of an integrated state plan to overcome Alzheimer's;

                                (3) help to coordinate the health care and treatment of citizens with Alzheimer's;

                                (4) ensure the inclusion of ethnic and racial populations at higher risk for Alzheimer's or least likely to receive care, in clinical, research, and service efforts with the purpose of decreasing health disparities in Alzheimer's;

                                (5) coordinate with federal government bodies to integrate and inform the fight against Alzheimer's; and

                                (6) provide information and coordination of Alzheimer's research and services across all state agencies.

                (c) Responsibilities of the Project. The Alzheimer's Project shall:

                                                (i) oversee the creation and updating of the State plan described in subparagraph (d);

                                                (ii) use discretionary authority to evaluate all state programs around Alzheimer's; and

                (d) State Plan. The Project shall carry out an annual assessment of the State?s progress in preparing for the escalating burden of Alzheimer's, including both implementation steps and recommendations for priority actions based on the assessment.

                SECTION 2. Advisory Council. 

                (1) There is established in the Project an Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research and Treatment (referred to in this Act as the "Advisory Council").

                (2) Membership.

                                (A) The Advisory Council shall be comprised of the following experts:

                                                (i) A designee of the secretary of health and human services

                                                (iii) A designee of the commissioner of the department of public health.

                                                (iv) A designee of the secretary of veterans affairs.

                                                (v) A designee of MassHealth

                                                (vi) 2 Alzheimer patient advocates;

                                                (vii) 2 Alzheimer caregivers;

                                                (viii) 2 health care providers;

                                                (ixv) 2 researchers with Alzheimer-related expertise in basic, translational, clinical, or drug development science; and

                                                (x) 2 voluntary health association representatives, including a state Alzheimer's disease organization that funds research and has demonstrated experience in care and patient services, and a State based advocacy organization that provides services to families and professionals, including information and referral, support groups, care consultation, education, and safety services.

                (3) The Advisory Council shall meet quarterly and such meetings shall be open to the public.

                (4) The Advisory Council shall advise the Project on state Alzheimers policy.

                (5) The Advisory Council shall provide to the Project an annual report for information and recommendations on Alzheimers policy.  The annual report shall include an evaluation of all state funded efforts in Alzheimer's research, clinical care, institutional, and home- and community-based programs and their outcomes; and an annually updated state plan.