Official Summary Text
SB1249 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet
Assigned to
HHS
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PASSED BY COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session
AMENDED
FACT SHEET FOR
s.b. 1249
Alzheimer's
disease state plan; appropriation
Purpose
Requires the
Department of Health Services (DHS) to establish a dementia services program
and develop an Alzheimer's disease state plan (plan). Appropriates $600,000 in
FY 2027 from the Health Services Lottery Monies Fund to DHS for the dementia
services program and the plan.
Background
DHS promotes and
protects the health of residents and provides and coordinates public health
services and programs for Arizona. Responsibilities of DHS include, but are not
limited to: 1) promoting the development, maintenance, efficiency and
effectiveness of local health departments or districts; 2) collecting and
tabulating all information required in reference to births; 3) conducting a
statewide health education program; 4) coordinating local programs concerning
control of preventable diseases, maternal and child health, nutrition and
dental health;
5) establishing and maintaining laboratories; 6) conducting continual
evaluations of state, local
and district
public health programs; and 7) licensing and regulating health care
institutions (
A.R.S.
� 36-132
).
Dementia
is a general term that covers a wide range of specific medical conditions,
including Alzheimer's disease. Disorders grouped under
dementia
are
caused by abnormal brain changes that can trigger a decline in cognitive
ability that may be severe enough to impair daily
life, independent function and affect behavior, feelings and
relationships (
Alzheimer's Association
).
Alzheimer's
disease is a specific type of dementia that affects memory, thinking and
behavior and accounts for 60 to 80 percent of all dementia cases. It is a
progressive disease, where symptoms gradually worsen over multiple years. In
the early stages, memory loss is mild, but in late-stage Alzheimer's,
individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their
environment. On average, a person with Alzheimer's lives between 4 and 8 years
after diagnosis, but can live as long as 20 years, depending on other factors (
Alzheimer's
Association
).
The State Lottery Fund consists of all revenues
received from the sale of lottery tickets or shares, including revenues from
outlined games, gaming fees and all other monies credited or transferred from
any other fund or source. The Health Services Lottery Monies Fund is
administered by DHS and consists of monies transferred from the State Lottery
Fund, as allocated by statute, for teenage pregnancy prevention programs, the
Health Start Program and the federal Women, Infants and Children Food Program
(A.R.S. ��
5-572
and
36-108.01
).
There is no
anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund (state GF) associated with
this legislation.
Provisions
1.
Designates DHS as the lead state agency to address Alzheimer's disease
and related forms of dementia.
2.
Requires
the Director of DHS to establish a dementia services program within DHS that:
a)
facilitates the coordination of programs relating to Alzheimer's disease
and related forms of dementia in all state agencies;
b)
facilitates the coordination, review, publication and implementation of
and updates to the plan;
c)
applies for public health funding and grants related to Alzheimer's
disease and related forms of dementia; and
d)
incorporates
evidence-based brain health strategies into relevant DHS-led public health
programs.
3.
Requires DHS to develop a plan that assesses the current and future
impact of Alzheimer's disease and related forms of dementia on the State of Arizona.
4.
Requires
the plan to assess and identify relevant gaps in:
a)
existing state services and resources that address the needs of persons
living with Alzheimer's disease or a related form of dementia and the persons'
caretakers;
b)
the needs of persons who have Alzheimer's disease or a related form of
dementia and the persons' caregivers;
c)
the state's public and private health systems, workforce and clinical
capacity and capability to provide effective detection, diagnosis and treatment
of Alzheimer's disease or a related form of dementia; and
d)
the
state's public and private nonmedical care and support services for persons
living with Alzheimer's disease or a related form of dementia and the persons'
caregivers.
5.
Requires
the plan to provide strategic recommendations with measurable goals for state
action state action to do all of the following for persons living with
Alzheimer's disease or a related form of dementia:
a)
improve access to care, support, diagnostics and treatment;
b)
improve the quality of dementia care, including crisis response, health
care systems, long-term care and in-home care;
c)
advance risk reduction and early detection awareness and brain health;
d)
improve caregiver support, care planning and care coordination; and
e)
improve
the collection, availability and use of dementia-related data by state
agencies.
6.
Requires DHS to conduct stakeholder engagement sessions at least once
each calendar year to solicit input on the plan.
7.
Requires
DHS, regarding the stakeholder engagement sessions, to:
a)
seek feedback from and collaborate with persons who have Alzheimer's
disease or a related form of dementia, direct caregivers and public, private
and nonprofit organizations focused on Alzheimer's care services, research,
advocacy, health services and caregiver support;
b)
at least 30 days before each engagement session, provide public notice
of the session, including the date, time, location or virtual access
information, a summary agenda and instructions for submitting written comments;
c)
ensure meaningful participation by stakeholders statewide, including
rural and underserved communities, and provide reasonable accommodations and
language access; and
d)
accept
written comments for at least 14 days following each engagement session.
8.
Requires DHS to convene or designate an advisory council or working
group to assist in planning, conducting and evaluating stakeholder engagement
and plan implementation, review and updates.
9.
Specifies that membership of the advisory council or working group must
reflect the diversity of the outlined stakeholders.
10.
Requires
DHS, by October 1, 2027, and at least every three years thereafter, to update
and submit the plan to the Governor, the President of the Senate and the
Speaker of the House of Representatives and provide a copy to the Secretary of
State.
11.
Requires
DHS to publish the plan on its public website.
12.
Defines
caregiver
as an unpaid person who provides regular assistance in
activities of daily living for a person living with Alzheimer's disease or a
related form of dementia.
13.
Appropriates
$600,000 in FY 2027 from the Health Services Lottery Monies Fund to DHS for the
dementia services program and the implementation of the plan.
14.
Becomes
effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committees
�
Changes the source of the FY 2027 appropriation from the state GF
to the Health Services Lottery Monies Fund.
Senate Action
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Prepared by Senate Research
February 25, 2026
MM/SDR/hk
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
SB1249 - 572R - S Ver
Senate Engrossed
Alzheimer's disease
state plan; appropriation
State of Arizona
Senate
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
SENATE BILL 1249
AN
ACT
amending
title 36, chapter 1, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 36-123.05;
appropriating monies; relating to the department of health services.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section
1.
1. Title
36, chapter 1, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding
section 36-123.05, to read:
START_STATUTE
36-123.05.
Dementia services program; department duties; Alzheimer's disease
state plan; posting; reporting requirement; advisory council; definition
A. The department is designated as
the lead agency in this state to address Alzheimer's disease and related forms
of dementia.
B. The director shall establish a
dementia services program within the department that does all of the following:
1. Facilitates the coordination of
programs that relate to Alzheimer's disease and related forms of dementia in
all state agencies.
2. Facilitates the coordination,
review, publication and implementation of and updates to the Alzheimer's
disease state plan developed pursuant to this section.
3. Applies for public health funding
and grants related to Alzheimer's disease and related forms of dementia.
4. Incorporates evidence-based
brain health strategies into relevant department-led public health
programs.
C. The department shall develop an
Alzheimer's disease state plan that Assesses the current and future impact of
Alzheimer's disease and related forms of dementia on this state and that:
1. Assesses and identifies relevant
gaps in all of the following:
(
a
) Existing
state services and resources that address the needs of persons living with
Alzheimer's disease or a related form of dementia and their caregivers.
(
b
) The needs
of persons who have Alzheimer's disease or a related form of dementia and how
their lives are affected throughout the progression of the disease.
(
c
) This
state's public and private health systems, workforce and clinical capacity and
capability to provide effective detection, diagnosis and treatment of
Alzheimer's disease and related forms of dementia.
(
d
) This
state's public and private nonmedical care and support services for persons
living with Alzheimer's disease or a related form of dementia and their
caregivers.
2. Provides strategic recommendations
with measurable goals for state action to do all of the following for persons
living with Alzheimer's disease or a related form of dementia:
(
a
) Improve
access to care, support, diagnostics and treatment.
(
b
) Improve the
quality of dementia care, including crisis response, health care systems, long-term
care and in-home care.
(
c
) Advance
risk reduction and early detection awareness and brain health.
(
d
) Improve caregiver support, care planning and care
coordination.
(
e
) Improve the collection, availability and use of dementia-related
data by state agencies.
D. The department shall convene or
designate an advisory council or working group to assist in planning,
conducting and evaluating stakeholder engagement and state plan implementation,
review and updates.� Membership of the advisory council or working group shall
reflect the diversity of stakeholders identified in subsection E, paragraph 1
of this section.
E. The department shall conduct
stakeholder engagement sessions at least once each calendar year to solicit
input on the state plan.� The department shall:
1. Seek feedback from and collaborate
with persons who have Alzheimer's disease or a related form of dementia, direct
caregivers and public, private and nonprofit organizations focused on
Alzheimer's care services, research, advocacy, health services and caregiver
support.
2. At least thirty days before each
engagement session, provide public notice of the session, including the date,
time, location or virtual access information, a summary agenda and instructions
for submitting written comments.
3. Ensure meaningful participation by
stakeholders statewide, including rural and underserved communities, and
provide reasonable accommodations and language access.
4. Accept written comments for at
least fourteen days following each engagement session.
F. On or before September 30, 2027
and at least every third year thereafter, the department shall update and
submit the state plan to the governor, the president of the senate and the
speaker of the house of representatives and shall provide a copy to the
secretary of state.� The department shall publish the plan on the department's
public website.
G. For the purposes of this section,
"caregiver" means an unpaid person who provides regular assistance in
activities of daily living for a person living with Alzheimer's disease or a
related form of dementia.
END_STATUTE
Sec.
2.
2.
Appropriation; department of health services; dementia services
program; Alzheimer's disease state plan
The sum of $600,000 is appropriated
from the
health services lottery monies fund
established by section 36-108.01, Arizona Revised
Statutes, in fiscal year 2026-2027 to the department of health services
for the dementia services program established pursuant to section 36-123.05,
Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act, and the implementation of the
Alzheimer's disease state plan.