The Florida Senate
BILL ANALYSIS AND FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT
(This document is based on the provisions contained in the legislation as of the latest date listed below.)
Prepared By: The Professional Staff of the Committee on Health Policy
BILL: SB 806
INTRODUCER: Senators Perry and Stewart
SUBJECT: Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia-related Disorders Awareness
DATE: January 12, 2022
ANALYST STAFF DIRECTOR REFERENCE ACTION
1. Looke Brown HP Pre-meeting
2. AHS
3. AP
I. Summary:
SB 806 creates s. 381.825, F.S., to establish the “Ramping up Education of Alzheimer’s Disease
and Dementia for You (READY) Act.” The bill requires the Department of Health (DOH), in
collaboration with the Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA), to use existing, relevant public
health and community outreach programs to develop and disseminate information to medical and
osteopathic doctors and to nurses in order to educate them on and increase their understanding
and awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia-related disorders (ADRD).
The bill allows the DOH, using any federal or state funds appropriated for the purpose, to fund
mobile and virtual outreach programs that prioritize underserved communities to provide
information on ADRD, referrals to the DOEA, and links to available resources.
The bill also directs the DOH to collaborate with other agencies and organizations to create a
systematic approach to increasing public awareness of ADRD.
The bill provides an effective date of July 1, 2022.
II. Present Situation:
Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning—thinking, remembering, and reasoning—and
behavioral abilities to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities.
These functions include memory, language skills, visual perception, problem solving, self-
management, and the ability to focus and pay attention. Some people with dementia cannot
control their emotions, and their personalities may change. Dementia ranges in severity from the
REVISED: BILL: SB 806 Page 2
mildest stage, when it is just beginning to affect a person's functioning, to the most severe stage,
when the person must depend completely on others for basic activities of living.
1
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. It is a progressive disease that begins
with mild memory loss and can lead to loss of the ability to carry on a conversation and respond
to one’s environment. Alzheimer’s disease affects parts of the brain that control thought,
memory, and language. It can seriously affect a person’s ability to carry out daily activities.
Although scientists are studying the disease, the cause of Alzheimer’s disease is unknown.
2
It is estimated that there are over 580,000 individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease in the state
of Florida.
3
By 2025, it is projected that 720,000 Floridians will have Alzheimer’s disease.
4
Most
individuals with Alzheimer’s can live in the community with support, often provided by spouses
or other family members. In the late stages of the disease, many patients require care 24 hours
per day and are often served in long-term care facilities.
Dementia Care and Cure Initiative
The DOEA announced the Dementia Care and Cure Initiative (DCCI) in 2015 to engage
communities across the state to be more dementia-caring, promote better care for Floridians
affected by dementia, and support research efforts to find a cure. In collaboration with Florida’s
11 Area Agencies on Aging and 17 memory disorder clinics, participating DCCI communities
organize task forces consisting of community professionals and stakeholders who work to bring
about education, awareness of, and sensitivity regarding the needs of those affected by
dementia.
5
The goals of the DCCI include:
Increasing awareness of dementia, services, and supports.
Providing assistance to dementia-caring communities.
Continuing advocacy for care and cure programs.
6
III. Effect of Proposed Changes:
SB 806 creates s. 381.825, F.S., to establish the “Ramping up Education of Alzheimer’s Disease
and Dementia for You (READY) Act.”
The bill requires the DOH, in collaboration with the DOEA, to use existing, relevant public
health and community outreach programs to develop and disseminate information to medical and
osteopathic doctors and to nurses in order to educate them on and increase their understanding
and awareness of ADRD. The bill specifies that the information must, at a minimum, cover the
following topics:
The importance of early detection and timely diagnosis of cognitive impairment.
1
What is Dementia? Symptoms, Types, and Diagnosis, National Institute on Aging, available at
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-dementia-symptoms-types-and-diagnosis, (last visited Jan. 4, 2022).
2
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging website available at
https://www.cdc.gov/aging/aginginfo/alzheimers.htm#AlzheimersDisease, (last visited Jan. 4, 2022).
3
Alzheimer’s Association available at https://www.alz.org/media/Documents/florida-alzheimers-facts-figures-2018.pdf, (last
visited Mar. 10, 2021).
4
Id.
5
See http://elderaffairs.state.fl.us/doea/dcci.php (last visited Jan. 4, 2022).
6
See DCCI-Fact-Sheet_2021-March-2021.pdf (elderaffairs.org) (last visited Jan. 4, 2022). BILL: SB 806 Page 3
Use of a validated cognitive assessment tool.
The value of Medicare annual wellness visits for cognitive health.
Use of the Medicare billing code for advance care planning for individuals with cognitive
impairment.
Methods to detect early warning signs of ADRD.
Methods to reduce the risk of cognitive decline, particularly among individuals in diverse
communities who are at greater risk of developing ADRD.
The bill requires the DOH to encourage providers, including but not limited to, hospitals, county
health departments, physicians, nurses, and rural health centers, to display the above information
in their facilities and discuss the risks of ADRD with patients age 60 or older.
The bill allows the DOH, using any federal or state funds appropriated for the purpose, to fund
mobile and virtual outreach programs that prioritize underserved communities to provide
information on ADRD, including but not limited to brain health, risk education, and early
detection and diagnosis; provide referrals to the DOEA; and include links to available resources
relating to ADRD.
The bill also directs the DOH to collaborate with other agencies and organizations to create a
systematic approach to increasing public awareness of ADRD.
The bill provides and effective date of July 1, 2022.
IV. Constitutional Issues:
A. Municipality/County Mandates Restrictions:
None.
B. Public Records/Open Meetings Issues:
None.
C. Trust Funds Restrictions:
None.
D. State Tax or Fee Increases:
None.
E. Other Constitutional Issues:
None. BILL: SB 806 Page 4
V. Fiscal Impact Statement:
A. Tax/Fee Issues:
None.
B. Private Sector Impact:
None.
C. Government Sector Impact:
SB 806 may have an indeterminate negative fiscal impact on the DOH related to
developing and disseminating the information required by the bill.
The DOEA indicates that its involvement with developing and disseminating the
information required by the bill will likely be able to be absorbed within existing
resources.
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VI. Technical Deficiencies:
None.
VII. Related Issues:
None.
VIII. Statutes Affected:
This bill creates section 381.825 of the Florida Statutes.
IX. Additional Information:
A. Committee Substitute – Statement of Changes:
(Summarizing differences between the Committee Substitute and the prior version of the bill.)
None.
B. Amendments:
None.
This Senate Bill Analysis does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill’s introducer or the Florida Senate.
7
See DOEA analysis of SB 806, Nov. 16, 2021, on file with Senate Health Policy Committee staff.