HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 341        FILED ON: 1/10/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2078

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

John W. Scibak

_________________

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 Alzheimer’s project..

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

John W. Scibak

2nd Hampshire

1/10/2013

Cory Atkins

14th Middlesex

1/29/2013

Katherine M. Clark

Fifth Middlesex

2/1/2013

Tom Sannicandro

7th Middlesex

 

Kimberly N. Ferguson

1st Worcester

 

Bruce J. Ayers

1st Norfolk

 

Michael R. Knapik

Second Hampden and Hampshire

 

Thomas M. Stanley

9th Middlesex

 

Martin J. Walsh

13th Suffolk

 

Sheila C. Harrington

1st Middlesex

 

Sean Garballey

23rd Middlesex

 

Paul McMurtry

11th Norfolk

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 341        FILED ON: 1/10/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2078

By Mr. Scibak of South Hadley, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2078) of John W. Scibak and others for legislation to establish a Massachusetts Alzheimer’s project in the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services.  Public Health.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 623 OF 2011-2012.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Thirteen

_______________

 

An Act relative to the Massachusetts Alzheimer’s 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. Chapter 6A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 16S the following section:-

Section 16T.  (a) There is hereby established, within the executive office of health and human services, the Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Project, hereinafter called the project.

            (b) The purpose of the project shall be to:

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

           (2) create and maintain an integrated state plan to overcome Alzheimer's disease;

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

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

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

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

          (c) The project shall be responsible for creating the state plan, described in subsection (d), updating the state plan and evaluating all state programs that address Alzheimer's disease.

         (d) The project shall carry out an annual assessment of the state’s progress in preparing for the escalating burden of Alzheimer's disease. The assessment shall set forth a state plan which includes both implementation steps and recommendations for priority actions based on the assessment.

(e) There is hereby established an advisory council on Alzheimer's disease research and treatment.

          (1) The advisory council shall be comprised of the following experts: (i) a designee of the secretary of health and human services; (ii) a designee of the commissioner of public health; (iii) a designee of the secretary of veterans’ services; (iv) a designee of the director of the office of Medicaid; (v) 2 Alzheimer’s disease patient advocates; (vi) 2 Alzheimer’s disease caregivers; (vii) 2 health care providers; (viii) 2 researchers with Alzheimer-related expertise in basic, translational, clinical or drug development science; and (ix) 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.

      (2) The advisory council shall meet quarterly and such meetings shall be open to the public.

   (3) The advisory council shall advise the project on the state’s Alzheimer’s disease policy.

         (4) The advisory council shall provide to the project an annual report which includes: information and recommendations on Alzheimer’s disease policy; an evaluation of all state-funded efforts in Alzheimer's disease research, clinical care, institutional, home-based and community-based programs; the outcomes of such efforts; and an annually updated state plan.