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S3311
2026 -- S 3311
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LC006476
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N
PROCLAIMING THE DAY OF MAY 21ST, 2026, TO BE "FRONTOTEMPORAL
DEGENERATION (FTD) AWARENESS DAY" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
Introduced By:
Senators McKenney, Zurier, Murray, Famiglietti, Dimitri, Rogers, Felag,
Acosta, Vargas, and Appollonio
Date Introduced:
May 21, 2026
Referred To:
Recommended for Immediate Consideration
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WHEREAS, Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), also known as Frontotemporal Lobar
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Degeneration (FTLD), affects approximately 50,000 to 60,000 people in the United States. These
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diseases mainly affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, the areas of the brain associated
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with personality, behavior and language; and
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WHEREAS, In Frontotemporal Dementia, parts of these brain lobes shrink, known as
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atrophy, and can cause a variety of symptoms including acting in ways that may seem to be
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socially inappropriate, acting more compulsively, losing the ability to use or understand language,
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showing less response to other people's feelings, changes in eating habits to include overeating
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sweets or carbohydrates, repeatedly placing objects in the mouth, eating things that are not food
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and compulsive behaviors such as tapping, clapping, or smacking lips repeatedly; and
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WHEREAS, Other symptoms of Frontotemporal Degeneration impact a person's
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movements such as causing tremors, rigidity, muscle spasms or twitches, poor coordination,
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trouble swallowing, muscle weakness, laughing or crying at times that don't match the situation,
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and falls or trouble walking. These symptoms are similar to those seen in Parkinson's Disease;
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and
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WHEREAS, Frontotemporal Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease are both types of
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dementia, but they affect the brain in different ways. Frontotemporal Dementia usually begins at
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an earlier age than Alzheimer's Disease, often beginning between the ages of 40 and 65. Memory
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loss may not be an early symptom of Frontotemporal Dementia while it is usually one of the first
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symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease. Frontotemporal Dementia is often mistaken for Alzheimer's
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Disease or a mental health condition, especially in the early stages, and oftentimes the clinical
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aspects of Frontotemporal Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease overlap, making it hard to diagnose
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the condition of Frontotemporal Dementia; now, therefore be it
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RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby proclaims the Day of
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May 21st, 2026, to be Frontotemporal Degeneration Awareness Day in the State of Rhode Island;
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and be it further
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RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to
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transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Ms. Rita B. Choula, M.A., Chair of The
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Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration.
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LC006476
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