WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) introduced the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Reauthorization Act of 2024. This legislation would reauthorize funding for public health initiatives across the country to combat Alzheimer’s disease and preserve brain health. These initiatives began when the original BOLD Act, authored by this same bipartisan group of four senators, was signed into law in 2018.

“Over the past five years, the BOLD Act has begun its work to create an Alzheimer’s disease public health infrastructure across the country,” Senator Capito said. “By empowering our federal and state public health agencies to play an expanded role in areas such as increasing early detection and supporting dementia caregiving, this legislation is having a direct impact on millions of Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease and their families. This remains a very personal priority for me and by reauthorizing the BOLD Act, we can continue this momentum and work to provide hope for those touched by this devastating disease.”

Specifically, the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act accelerated a multi-pronged public health approach to reduce risk, detect early symptoms, advance care, improve data, and ultimately change the trajectory of this devastating disease. Headed by the Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC), the reauthorization would authorize $33 million per year, in line with current appropriations, over the next five years to support:

  1. Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Public Health Centers of Excellence dedicated 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 three current Centers have established themselves as national resources and are supporting nationwide implementation of the actions outlined in the CDC’s Healthy Brain Initiative's Road Map. Each center is focused on a key issue related to dementia – from risk reduction to early detection to caregiving. 
  2. Public Health Cooperative Agreements with the CDC that are awarded to State Health Departments to help them meet local needs in promoting brain health, reducing risk of cognitive decline, improving care for those with Alzheimer’s, and other key public health activities.
  1. Data Grants to improve the analysis and timely reporting of data on Alzheimer’s, cognitive decline, caregiving, and health disparities at the state and national levels.

Approximately 39,000 people aged 65 and older in West Virginia and 6.7 million Americans nationwide are living with Alzheimer’s, and the United States spends more than $345 billion per year, including $222 billion in costs to Medicare and Medicaid. Barring any major breakthroughs to prevent, slow down, or cure Alzheimer’s, the number of Americans with Alzheimer’s is expected to double by 2050, costing the nation more than $1.1 trillion per year.

With Senator Capito’s support, funding for the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act has grown from $10 million in fiscal year 2020 to $33 million in fiscal year 2023. The BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act was first introduced by Senators Capito, Collins, Cortez Masto, and Kaine in 2017. The Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Reauthorization Act of 2024 is endorsed by the Alzheimer’s Association and Alzheimer’s Impact Movement.

U.S. Representatives Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.-02) and Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.-20) introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives.

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