H.R. No. 1978 R E S O L U T I O N WHEREAS, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive and irreversible brain disorder characterized by a steady decline in cognitive, behavioral, and physical abilities severe enough to interfere with daily life; and WHEREAS, Disease progression and physical manifestations include loss of strength and balance, the inability to perform simple tasks and physical activities, and incontinence; as more of the brain is affected, areas that control basic life functions like swallowing and breathing become irreversibly damaged, leading to death; and WHEREAS, AD is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and has an economic burden that exceeds $182 billion annually; 5.4 million people in the United States have AD, including approximately 340,000 Texans; Texas ranks third in the number of AD cases and second in the number of AD deaths; a new person develops AD every 69 seconds, and current projections indicate that this rate will increase to one new case every 33 seconds by 2050; and WHEREAS, Other causes of death have been declining in recent years, but those due to AD have risen; between 2000 and 2006, deaths from heart disease, stroke, and prostate cancer declined by 12 percent, 18 percent, and 14 percent, respectively, while deaths attributable to AD increased by 47 percent; by 2050, AD is expected to strike nearly a million additional persons per year in the United States and affect an estimated 11 to 16 million Americans; and WHEREAS, Individuals providing care for AD patients in Texas grew from 690,058 to 852,820 between 2005 and 2009, with most of these being unpaid family members; the estimated total value of this unpaid care in Texas increased from $5.8 billion in 2005 to $11.2 billion in 2009, the second highest in the nation; Texas businesses are also impacted by AD, losing over $14 billion annually in health care costs and lost productivity; and WHEREAS, There is a great need for Texas to develop infrastructure and capability commensurate with the state's increasing burden imposed by AD; in 2005, recognizing Texas' AD challenge, the legislature began making investments in AD research, and at the close of the 2009-2011 biennium, nearly $12.5 million will have been put toward this cause; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby request the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of representatives to create a joint interim committee to study the overall economic and systemic impact of Alzheimer's disease through 2017, including an inventory of public and private infrastructure and capacity for addressing the challenges of AD; and, be it further RESOLVED, That the study identify funds and systems to support and expand ongoing statewide disease-specific strategic planning through the Texas Department of State Health Services and also identify funds and systems available to support and expand activities of the Texas Alzheimer's Research Consortium; and, be it further RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be governed by such general rules and policies for joint interim committees as the 82nd Legislature may adopt. Zerwas ______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1978 was adopted by the House on May 23, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 142, Nays 0, 1 present, not voting. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House