Florida SB 1784: Sewer Collection Systems

Bill Text

1784 
PSP Awareness Month 
2026-02-03T06:31:43Z 
Designating May 2026 as “PSP Awareness Month” in Florida and recognizing the commitment of patients, their families, and health care professions to increase awareness and research regarding progressive supranuclear palsy and other neurodegenerative diseases, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
SR 
Resolution 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 (NP) SR 1784 

 By Senator Brodeur 

 10-02278A-26 20261784__ 
 1 Senate Resolution 
 2 A resolution designating May 2026 as “PSP Awareness 
 3 Month” in Florida and recognizing the commitment of 
 4 patients, their families, and health care professions 
 5 to increase awareness and research regarding 
 6 progressive supranuclear palsy and other 
 7 neurodegenerative diseases. 
 8 
 9 WHEREAS, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is one of 
 10 many neurodegenerative brain disorders affecting the aging 
 11 population, causing progressive gait and balance difficulties, 
 12 frequent falls, ocular impairment, slow or stiff movement, 
 13 slurred speech, mood or behavioral changes, and cognitive 
 14 decline, and 
 15 WHEREAS, PSP is one of the most common forms of atypical 
 16 parkinsonism, based on more than 20 studies, with an estimated 
 17 prevalence in Florida of approximately 7 cases per 100,000 
 18 residents from 2015 to 2023, and the mean age of onset is 
 19 typically between 63 and 67 years of age, and 
 20 WHEREAS, neurodegenerative diseases include Alzheimer’s 
 21 disease; Parkinson’s disease; Huntington’s disease; amyotrophic 
 22 lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease; and 
 23 other disorders and forms of dementia, and 
 24 WHEREAS, in 2024, the Legislature passed CS/SB 186, the 
 25 “Justo R. Cortes Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Act,” which 
 26 directed the State Surgeon General to establish a policy 
 27 committee on PSP and other neurodegenerative diseases and to 
 28 have the committee submit a report of its findings to Governor 
 29 Ron DeSantis and the Legislature by January 4, 2026, and 
 30 WHEREAS, the policy committee’s findings include an 
 31 estimated direct medical cost for PSP in the United States of 
 32 $25.4 billion per year, along with estimated indirect and 
 33 nonmedical costs of $26.5 billion annually for such things as 
 34 missed work, lost wages, forced early retirement, and family 
 35 caregiver time, and 
 36 WHEREAS, PSP and Parkinson’s disease share similar 
 37 symptoms, resulting in misdiagnosis and potential delay in 
 38 critical care and support, and the policy committee concluded 
 39 that identification and early diagnosis of these disorders is 
 40 vital, and 
 41 WHEREAS, patients with these neurodegenerative diseases 
 42 have complex needs that require a multidisciplinary approach to 
 43 care involving physicians, nurses, rehabilitation specialists, 
 44 allied health providers, and caregivers, and 
 45 WHEREAS, the policy committee recommendations include 
 46 addressing the need to identify risk factors that would aid in 
 47 detection of the diseases, understanding how the diseases impact 
 48 residents, developing the standards of care necessary for 
 49 effective treatment, and crafting policy recommendations to help 
 50 improve patient and caregiver awareness of PSP and other 
 51 neurodegenerative diseases, and 
 52 WHEREAS, progress in addressing the devastating impact of 
 53 PSP and related conditions depends upon increasing the public’s 
 54 awareness of the diseases, as well as public health initiatives 
 55 to educate individuals about early symptoms, promoting more 
 56 intensive research efforts, and educating health care 
 57 practitioners on recognizing signs and symptoms related to PSP 
 58 and similar disorders, NOW, THEREFORE, 
 59 
 60 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 
 61 
 62 That the Senate designates May 2026 as “PSP Awareness 
 63 Month” in Florida and recognizes the commitment of patients, 
 64 their families, and health care professions to increase 
 65 awareness and research regarding progressive supranuclear palsy 
 66 and other neurodegenerative diseases.