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Washington, DC– Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) introduced the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act (H.R. 4256). This bipartisan legislation would create a public health infrastructure to combat Alzheimer’s disease and preserve brain health.

U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) also introduced the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act in the Senate.

“Almost every Kentuckian I know is affected by this terrible disease in some way, and many have become caregivers for their family members suffering from Alzheimer’s,”said Guthrie. “Alzheimer’s is the costliest disease in America, with over 5 million Americans living with this disease. I was proud to join a bipartisan, bicameral group of members to introduce the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act. This bill supports cooperative agreements between public and private entities focused on ways to develop best practices for intervention and caregiving, which will help lower costs and promote evidence based research for those who suffer from this awful disease and for those who care for these individuals.”

This legislation would apply a public health approach to Alzheimer’s disease by establishing a modern infrastructure for the prevention, treatment, and care of Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Headed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it would establish:

1. Centers of Excellence in Public Health Practicededicated to promoting effective Alzheimer’s disease and caregiving interventions as well as educating the public on Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive decline, and brain health. The centers would implement the CDC’s Healthy Brain Initiative Public Health Road Map, and would take key steps to support health and social services professionals as well as families and communities.

2. Core Capacity and Enhanced Activity Cooperative Agreementswith the CDC that would be awarded to state, local and tribal public health departments to develop and carry out Alzheimer’s interventions. Core capacity awards would help states build a foundation, and enhanced activity awards would help those states that are carrying out Alzheimer’s public health actions to amplify their initiatives through public-private partnerships.

3. Data Analysis and Reporting Cooperative Agreementswith CDC that would ensure data on Alzheimer’s, cognitive decline, caregiving, and health disparities are analyzed and disseminated to the public in a timely manner.

For a one-pager on the bill, click HERE.

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