THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY WATSON, HENNESSEY, BAKER, GINGRICH, MUNDY, CURRY, CALTAGIRONE, CLYMER, COHEN, CONKLIN, D. COSTA, CREIGHTON, ELLIS, J. EVANS, EVERETT, FLECK, GEIST, GODSHALL, GOODMAN, GRELL, GROVE, HARHART, HARPER, HELM, HESS, HORNAMAN, KAUFFMAN, M. K. KELLER, KOTIK, KULA, MAJOR, MICOZZIE, MILLER, MILNE, MOUL, MURT, MUSTIO, O'NEILL, PICKETT, PRESTON, QUINN, READSHAW, ROSS, SCAVELLO, STERN, TALLMAN, TAYLOR, TOOHIL, VEREB, VULAKOVICH AND YOUNGBLOOD, MARCH 19, 2012

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON AGING AND OLDER ADULT SERVICES, MARCH 19, 2012  

AN ACT

Establishing the Alzheimer's Disease State Planning Committee

within the Department of Aging; and providing for its powers

and duties.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Short title.

This act shall be known and may be cited as the Pennsylvania

Alzheimer's Disease State Plan Act.

Section 2.  Legislative findings.

The General Assembly finds that:

(1)  Currently, Alzheimer's disease affects one in 12

Pennsylvania families.

(2)  To date, 31 states have either published or are in

the process of writing an Alzheimer's disease plan.

(3)  The Commonwealth needs to establish a planning

committee within the Department of Aging to develop a State

Alzheimer's Plan that will serve as a comprehensive blueprint

for how the Commonwealth will address the growing Alzheimer's

crisis.

(4)  The planning process will charge State agencies,

legislators, residential and community care providers,

professional and family caregivers and persons with

Alzheimer's disease and related disorders to work together to

create a plan that addresses the Alzheimer's epidemic with a

thoughtful, integrated and cost-effective approach.

Section 3.  Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this act shall

have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Committee."  The Alzheimer's Disease State Planning

Committee established by this act.

"Department."  The Department of Aging of the Commonwealth.

"Secretary."  The Secretary of Aging of the Commonwealth.

"State plan."  The Pennsylvania Alzheimer's Disease State

Plan.

Section 4.  Pennsylvania Alzheimer's Disease State Planning

Committee.

(a)  Establishment.--The Pennsylvania Alzheimer's Disease

State Planning Committee is established in the department.

(b)  Membership.--The committee shall consist of the

following members:

(1)  The chairman and minority chairman of the Aging and

Youth Committee and the Public Health and Welfare Committee

of the Senate and the chairman and minority chairman of the

Aging and Older Adults Services Committee and the Health

Committee of the House of Representatives.

(2)  One person with Alzheimer's disease.

(3)  One caregiver of a person with Alzheimer's disease.

(4)  A representative of the nursing home industry.

(5)  A representative of the assisted living industry.

(6)  A representative of the adult day-care services

industry.

(7)  A representative of the medical care provider

community.

(8)  An Alzheimer's disease researcher.

(9)  A representative of a Statewide Alzheimer's

association.

(10)  The secretary or a designee.

(11)  A representative from the Department of Health.

(12)  A representative from the Department of Public

Welfare.

(c)  Appointments.--Except for members identified under

subsection (b)(1), members of the committee shall be appointed

by the Governor.

(d)  Chair and administrative support.--The secretary shall

chair the committee and provide necessary administrative support

to the activities of the committee.

Section 5.  Powers and duties of committee.

(a)  General rule.--The committee shall meet on a regular

basis and shall have the following powers and duties:

(1)  To assess the current and future impact of

Alzheimer's disease on residents of this Commonwealth.

(2)  To examine the existing industries, services and

resources addressing the needs of persons with Alzheimer's

disease, their families and caregivers.

(3)  To develop a strategy to mobilize a State response

to this public health crisis.

(4)  To include an examination of the following in its

assessment and recommendations:

(i)  Trends in State Alzheimer's population and

needs, including the changing population with dementia

including, but not limited to:

(A)  The Commonwealth's role in long-term care,

family caregiver support and assistance to persons

with early-stage and early onset of Alzheimer's

disease.

(B)  The Commonwealth's policy regarding persons

with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.

(C)  The surveillance of persons with Alzheimer's

disease for purposes of having proper estimates of

the number of persons in this Commonwealth with

Alzheimer's disease.

(ii)  Existing services, resources and capacity

including, but not limited to:

(A)  Type, cost and availability of Alzheimer's

and related disorders services.

(B)  Dementia-specific training requirements for

long-term care staff.

(C)  Quality care measures for long-term care

facilities.

(D)  Capacity of public safety and law

enforcement to respond to persons with Alzheimer's

disease.

(E)  Availability of home and community-based

resources for persons with Alzheimer's disease and

respite care to assist families.

(F)  Inventory of long-term care dementia care

units.

(G)  Adequacy and appropriateness of geriatric-

psychiatric units for persons with behavior disorders

associated with Alzheimer's disease and related

disorders.

(H)  Assisted living residential options for

persons with dementia.

(I)  State support of Alzheimer's disease

research through Pennsylvania colleges and

universities and other resources.

(iii)  Any needed State policies or responses

including, but not limited to, directions for the

provision of clear and coordinated services and supports

to persons and families living with Alzheimer's disease

and related disorders and strategies to address any

identified gaps in services.

(b)  Public meeting.--The committee shall hold public

meetings and utilize technological means, such as web casts, to

gather feedback on the recommendations from persons and families

affected by Alzheimer's disease and the general public.

(c)  Report.--The committee shall submit a report on its

findings and date-specific recommendations to the Governor and

the General Assembly in the form of a Pennsylvania Alzheimer's

Disease State Plan no later than one year after the effective

date of this section.

Section 6.  Expiration.

This act shall expire on the date that the report required by

section 5(c) is submitted.

Section 7.  Effective date.

This act shall take effect immediately.