HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 352        FILED ON: 1/13/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2057

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

John W. Scibak

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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.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 352        FILED ON: 1/13/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2057

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2078 OF 2013-2014.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

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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 states 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 states 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.