Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas House Bill HB1592 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
2	2	JMB280 02/25/2025 2:54:55 PM JMB280
3	3	State of Arkansas 1
4	4	95th General Assembly A Bill 2
5	5	Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1592 3
6	6	4
7	7	By: Representatives J. Mayberry, Ladyman, Rye, Gramlich 5
8	8	By: Senators C. Penzo, D. Wallace, Hill, F. Love, G. Leding 6
9	9	7
10	10	For An Act To Be Entitled 8
11	11	AN ACT TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS ALZHEIMER'S AND 9
12	12	DEMENTIA PUBLIC HEALTH ACT; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 10
13	13	11
14	14	12
15	15	Subtitle 13
16	16	TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS ALZHEIMER'S AND 14
17	17	DEMENTIA PUBLIC HEALTH ACT. 15
18	18	16
19	19	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 17
20	20	18
21	21	SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 20, Chapter 15, is amended to add an 19
22	22	additional subchapter to read as follows: 20
23	23	Subchapter 25 — Arkansas Alzheimer’s and Dementia Public Health Act 21
24	24	22
25	25	20-15-2501. Title. 23
26	26	This subchapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Arkansas 24
27	27	Alzheimer’s and Dementia Public Health Act". 25
28	28	26
29	29	20-15-2502. Legislative findings. 27
30	30	The General Assembly finds that: 28
31	31	(1) Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are a growing 29
32	32	public health crisis, with significant social and economic impacts on 30
33	33	families and communities in Arkansas; 31
34	34	(2) Early detection, timely diagnosis, and coordinated care 32
35	35	improve outcomes and quality of life for individuals living with Alzheimer’s 33
36	36	disease and related dementias; 34
37	37	(3) Modifiable risk factors, such as physical inactivity, 35
38	38	hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and social isolation increase the risk of 36 HB1592
39	39
40	40	2 02/25/2025 2:54:55 PM JMB280
41	41	cognitive decline, particularly in underserved communities; 1
42	42	(4) Dementia has strong links to chronic conditions such as 2
43	43	cardiovascular disease and diabetes, requiring integrated public health 3
44	44	strategies; 4
45	45	(5) Public health outreach, education for healthcare providers, 5
46	46	and healthcare access are essential to reducing the burden of dementia; and 6
47	47	(6) Improved data collection and analysis are necessary to 7
48	48	monitor progress, identify gaps, and inform public health policy and resource 8
49	49	allocation. 9
50	50	10
51	51	20-15-2503. Interagency collaboration. 11
52	52	(a) The Department of Human Services and the Department of Health 12
53	53	shall collaborate to implement the State Alzheimer’s State Plan to address 13
54	54	dementia and improve cognitive health. 14
55	55	(b) The implementation of the plan shall include: 15
56	56	(1) Partnerships with healthcare providers and community -based 16
57	57	organizations; 17
58	58	(2) The expansion of public health campaigns that address brain 18
59	59	health, caregiver support, and the links between chronic disease and 19
60	60	dementia; 20
61	61	(3) Applications for federal funding to address Alzheimer’s and 21
62	62	dementia; and 22
63	63	(4) Other national cognitive health initiatives as applicable. 23
64	64	24
65	65	20-15-2504. Public health outreach. 25
66	66	The Department of Human Services and the Department of Health shall 26
67	67	integrate cognitive health and dementia information and education into 27
68	68	existing public health programs, including without limitation: 28
69	69	(1) Education for healthcare providers, which shall include: 29
70	70	(A) The importance of early detection and timely diagnosis 30
71	71	of cognitive impairment; 31
72	72	(B) Information on the Medicare annual wellness visit for 32
73	73	individuals who are sixty -five (65) years of age and older; 33
74	74	(C) Awareness of the Medicare care planning billing code 34
75	75	for individuals with cognitive impairment; and 35
76	76	(D) Guidance on care planning, including treatment 36 HB1592
77	77
78	78	3 02/25/2025 2:54:55 PM JMB280
79	79	options, advanced directives, and referrals to resources; and 1
80	80	(2) Public awareness campaigns, which shall include in 2
81	81	nonclinical terms: 3
82	82	(A) Cognitive health and dementia risk reduction; 4
83	83	(B) Early warning signs of Alzheimer's disease and other 5
84	84	dementias; 6
85	85	(C) The value of early detection and timely diagnosis; and 7
86	86	(D) The relationship between Alzheimer's disease, 8
87	87	dementia, and other chronic health conditions. 9
88	88	10
89	89	20-15-2505. Data collection and reporting. 11
90	90	The Department of Human Services and the Department of Health shall: 12
91	91	(1) Enhance data collection and analysis related to Alzheimer’s 13
92	92	disease and related dementias to: 14
93	93	(A) Monitor prevalence and demographics across Arkansas; 15
94	94	and 16
95	95	(B) Integrate data from chronic disease programs to 17
96	96	identify trends; and 18
97	97	(2) Establish and update at least annually a publicly accessible 19
98	98	Alzheimer’s and Dementia Data Dashboard that: 20
99	99	(A) Provides data on the prevalence, demographics, and 21
100	100	geographic distribution of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias; 22
101	101	(B) Includes metrics on healthcare utilization and long -23
102	102	term care services; 24
103	103	(C) Highlights trends and outcomes related to public 25
104	104	health initiatives; and 26
105	105	(D) Reports on the utilization of the care planning code. 27
106	106	28
107	107	20-15-2506. Funding and resources. 29
108	108	(a) The Department of Human Services and the Department of Health 30
109	109	shall: 31
110	110	(1) Seek federal grants, private funding, and other resources to 32
111	111	support implementation of this subchapter; and 33
112	112	(2) Partner with nonprofit organizations, private entities, and 34
113	113	research institutions to maximize available resources to support 35
114	114	implementation of this subchapter. 36 HB1592
115	115
116	116	4 02/25/2025 2:54:55 PM JMB280
117	117	(b) The requirements of this subchapter are subject to the 1
118	118	availability of funds in each agency that may be used for data collection, 2
119	119	reporting, or other requirements of this subchapter. 3
120	120	4
121	121	SECTION 2. DO NOT CODIFY. TEMPORARY LANGUAGE. Implementation dates. 5
122	122	The Department of Human Services and the Department of Health shall 6
123	123	begin implementing the education for healthcare providers and the public 7
124	124	awareness campaigns under § 20 -15-2504 no later than January 1, 2026. 8
125	125	9
126	126	10
127	127	11
128	128	12
129	129	13
130	130	14
131	131	15
132	132	16
133	133	17
134	134	18
135	135	19
136	136	20
137	137	21
138	138	22
139	139	23
140	140	24
141	141	25
142	142	26
143	143	27
144	144	28
145	145	29
146	146	30
147	147	31
148	148	32
149	149	33
150	150	34
151	151	35
152	152	36