Florida SB 578: Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Initiative

Bill Text

578 
Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Initiative 
2026-03-18T04:41:07Z 
Requiring the Department of Elderly Affairs to contract for the development and implementation of the Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Initiative; providing requirements for the initiative; providing requirements for the entity with which the department contracts to develop and implement the initiative, etc. 
ENROLLED 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
er 

 ENROLLED 
 2026 Legislature CS for SB 578 

 2026578er 
 1 
 2 An act relating to the Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness 
 3 Initiative; creating s. 430.5016, F.S.; requiring the 
 4 Department of Elderly Affairs to contract for the 
 5 development and implementation of the Alzheimer’s 
 6 Disease Awareness Initiative; providing requirements 
 7 for the initiative; providing requirements for the 
 8 entity with which the department contracts to develop 
 9 and implement the initiative; requiring the 
 10 Alzheimer’s Disease Advisory Committee to make certain 
 11 recommendations to the department and the Legislature 
 12 annually; providing an effective date. 
 13 
 14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 15 
 16 Section 1. Section 430.5016, Florida Statutes, is created 
 17 to read: 
 18 430.5016 Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Initiative.— 
 19 (1) The Department of Elderly Affairs shall contract for 
 20 the development and implementation of the Alzheimer’s Disease 
 21 Awareness Initiative. The initiative must provide an opportunity 
 22 for residents affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related forms 
 23 of dementia to benefit from greater support and to obtain 
 24 information that is validated in national research. 
 25 (2) The initiative must, at a minimum: 
 26 (a) Include a website and other related electronic 
 27 resources that will address all of the following: 
 28 1. The advantages of early detection and diagnosis. 
 29 2. How to reduce risk factors. 
 30 3. The importance of brain health. 
 31 4. The importance of talking to a professional about being 
 32 screened and assessed for Alzheimer’s disease and related forms 
 33 of dementia. 
 34 5. How to promote healthy aging. 
 35 6. Recent progress in Alzheimer’s research and the 
 36 availability of clinical trials. 
 37 7. Community resources available for those affected by 
 38 Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia. 
 39 8. Any related topic deemed appropriate by the department. 
 40 (b) Use the Department of Elderly Affairs’ Alzheimer’s 
 41 Disease and Related Dementias Resource Guide as a part of the 
 42 initiative materials. 
 43 (c) Promote health care provider education in partnership 
 44 with the Department of Health to help improve care and services 
 45 for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of 
 46 dementia in accordance with s. 381.825. 
 47 (d) Use varied forms of advertising for public events, 
 48 including, but not limited to, print advertising, digital 
 49 advertising, and advertising on social media platforms. 
 50 (e) Include a statewide mobile in-person outreach program 
 51 that prioritizes those in underserved communities and provides 
 52 information on issues relating to Alzheimer’s disease and 
 53 related forms of dementia, including, but not limited to, brain 
 54 health, risk education, early detection, and diagnosis. The 
 55 program may also provide referrals to the department and provide 
 56 information regarding any available community resources relating 
 57 to Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia. 
 58 (3)(a) The entity with which the department contracts to 
 59 develop and implement the Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness 
 60 Initiative must be a statewide nonprofit organization that: 
 61 1. Has a history of focusing on care and support for those 
 62 affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia, 
 63 including providing online resources to caregivers and people 
 64 living with the disease and through community-based events and 
 65 supporting Alzheimer disease research; and 
 66 2. Has the organizational capacity to manage a statewide 
 67 initiative and successfully carry out the requirements of this 
 68 section. 
 69 (b) The entity shall collaborate with other relevant state 
 70 agencies and private organizations to develop and implement the 
 71 initiative. Such agencies shall collaborate with the entity to 
 72 carry out the initiative. 
 73 (4) The Alzheimer’s Disease Advisory Committee shall 
 74 annually evaluate the effectiveness of the initiative and make 
 75 recommendations to the department and the Legislature concerning 
 76 the need for future funding for the Alzheimer’s Disease 
 77 Awareness Initiative each year as a part of the advisory 
 78 committee’s annual report. 
 79 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.