Pennsylvania Senate Bill 840 and House Bill 2400 have passed their respective chambers, each receiving bipartisan support. But both have stalled. SB 840 is with the House Health Committee, while HB 2400 has yet to be referred to a Senate Committee. Each has the potential to drastically improve the commonwealth’s ability to address the Alzheimer’s crisis with the creation of an Alzheimer’s Diseases and Related Dementia (ADRD) office.
The state’s approach to the dementia crisis has fallen short, with implementation of the 2014 State Plan being woefully incomplete — we are so close to changing that. Pennsylvanians need House and Senate leadership to come together on this issue which directly impacts constituents. Gov. Josh Shapiro prioritized this issue, and proposed a $1.9 million appropriation to establish and fund an ADRD infrastructure. This needs to be funded, now.
On behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association, and all Pennsylvanians, I urge Sens. Kim Ward, Joe Pittman, Jay Costa, Wayne Fontana and Camera Bartolotta, and Reps. Dan Miller, Tim O’Neal and George Dunbar to advance this to fully fund the $1.9 million appropriation, and to report SB840/HB2400 out of committee for floor vote.
A path forward falls directly to Senate and House leadership — this is an opportunity that transcends politics, to chart a course for the betterment of Pennsylvania.
Clay Jacobs
South Side
The writer is executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter.