[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 161 (Wednesday, December 8, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8654-S8655]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    NATIONAL ALZHEIMER'S PROJECT ACT

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to proceed to S. 
3036.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 3036) to establish the Office of the National 
     Alzheimer's Project.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill 
which had been reported from the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions, with an amendment to strike all after the enacting clause 
and insert in lieu thereof the following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``National Alzheimer's Project 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. THE NATIONAL ALZHEIMER'S PROJECT.

       (a) Definition of Alzheimer's.--In this Act, the term 
     ``Alzheimer's'' means Alzheimer's disease and related 
     dementias.
       (b) Establishment.--There is established in the Office of 
     the Secretary of Health and Human Services the National 
     Alzheimer's Project (referred to in this Act as the 
     ``Project'').
       (c) Purpose of the Project.--The Secretary of Health and 
     Human Services, or the Secretary's designee, shall--
       (1) be responsible for the creation and maintenance of an 
     integrated national plan to overcome Alzheimer's;
       (2) provide information and coordination of Alzheimer's 
     research and services across all Federal agencies;
       (3) accelerate the development of treatments that would 
     prevent, halt, or reverse the course of Alzheimer's;
       (4) improve the--
       (A) early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease; and
       (B) coordination of the care and treatment of citizens with 
     Alzheimer's;
       (5) ensure the inclusion of ethnic and racial populations 
     at higher risk for Alzheimer's or least likely to receive 
     care, in clinical, research, and service efforts with the 
     purpose of decreasing health disparities in Alzheimer's; and
       (6) coordinate with international bodies to integrate and 
     inform the fight against Alzheimer's globally.
       (d) Duties of the Secretary.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services, or the Secretary's designee, shall--
       (A) oversee the creation and updating of the national plan 
     described in paragraph (2); and
       (B) use discretionary authority to evaluate all Federal 
     programs around Alzheimer's, including budget requests and 
     approvals.
       (2) National plan.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services, or the Secretary's designee, shall carry out an 
     annual assessment of the Nation's progress in preparing for 
     the escalating burden of Alzheimer's, including both 
     implementation steps and recommendations for priority actions 
     based on the assessment.
       (e) Advisory Council.--
       (1) In general.--There is established an Advisory Council 
     on Alzheimer's Research, Care, and Services (referred to in 
     this Act as the ``Advisory Council'').
       (2) Membership.--
       (A) Federal members.--The Advisory Council shall be 
     comprised of the following experts:
       (i) A designee of the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention.
       (ii) A designee of the Administration on Aging.
       (iii) A designee of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
     Services.
       (iv) A designee of the Indian Health Service.
       (v) A designee of the Office of the Director of the 
     National Institutes of Health.
       (vi) The Surgeon General.
       (vii) A designee of the National Science Foundation.
       (viii) A designee of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
       (ix) A designee of the Food and Drug Administration.
       (x) A designee of the Agency for Healthcare Research and 
     Quality.
       (B) Non-federal members.--In addition to the members 
     outlined in subparagraph (A), the Advisory Council shall 
     include 12 expert members from outside the Federal 
     Government, which shall include--
       (i) 2 Alzheimer's patient advocates;
       (ii) 2 Alzheimer's caregivers;
       (iii) 2 health care providers;
       (iv) 2 representatives of State health departments;
       (v) 2 researchers with Alzheimer's-related expertise in 
     basic, translational, clinical, or drug development science; 
     and
       (vi) 2 voluntary health association representatives, 
     including a national Alzheimer's disease organization that 
     has demonstrated experience in research, care, and patient 
     services, and a State-based advocacy organization that 
     provides services to families and professionals, including 
     information and referral, support groups, care consultation, 
     education, and safety services.
       (3) Meetings.--The Advisory Council shall meet quarterly 
     and such meetings shall be open to the public.
       (4) Advice.--The Advisory Council shall advise the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services, or the Secretary's 
     designee.
       (5) Annual report.--The Advisory Council shall provide to 
     the Secretary of Health and Human Services, or the 
     Secretary's designee and Congress--
       (A) an initial evaluation of all federally funded efforts 
     in Alzheimer's research, clinical care, and institutional-, 
     home-, and community-based programs and their outcomes;
       (B) initial recommendations for priority actions to expand, 
     eliminate, coordinate, or condense programs based on the 
     program's performance, mission, and purpose;
       (C) initial recommendations to--
       (i) reduce the financial impact of Alzheimer's on--

       (I) Medicare and other federally funded programs; and
       (II) families living with Alzheimer's disease; and

[[Page S8655]]

       (ii) improve health outcomes; and
       (D) annually thereafter, an evaluation of the 
     implementation, including outcomes, of the recommendations, 
     including priorities if necessary, through an updated 
     national plan under subsection (d)(2).
       (6) Termination.--The Advisory Council shall terminate on 
     December 31, 2025.
       (f) Data Sharing.--Agencies both within the Department of 
     Health and Human Services and outside of the Department that 
     have data relating to Alzheimer's shall share such data with 
     the Secretary of Health and Human Services, or the 
     Secretary's designee, to enable the Secretary, or the 
     Secretary's designee, to complete the report described in 
     subsection (g).
       (g) Annual Report.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services, or the Secretary's designee, shall submit to 
     Congress--
       (1) an annual report that includes an evaluation of all 
     federally funded efforts in Alzheimer's research, clinical 
     care, and institutional-, home-, and community-based programs 
     and their outcomes;
       (2) an evaluation of all federally funded programs based on 
     program performance, mission, and purpose related to 
     Alzheimer's disease;
       (3) recommendations for--
       (A) priority actions based on the evaluation conducted by 
     the Secretary and the Advisory Council to--
       (i) reduce the financial impact of Alzheimer's on--

       (I) Medicare and other federally funded programs; and
       (II) families living with Alzheimer's disease; and

       (ii) improve health outcomes;
       (B) implementation steps; and
       (C) priority actions to improve the prevention, diagnosis, 
     treatment, care, institutional-, 
     home-, and community-based programs of Alzheimer's disease 
     for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and their 
     caregivers; and
       (4) an annually updated national plan.
       (h) Sunset.--The Project shall expire on December 31, 2025.

       Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to establish the 
     National Alzheimer's Project.''.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee-
reported substitute amendment be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be 
read a third time and passed; the committee-reported title amendment be 
agreed to; the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no 
intervening action or debate, and any statements relating to this 
matter be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee amendment in the nature of a substitute, was agreed to.
  The bill (S. 3036), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``A bill to establish the 
National Alzheimer's Project.''

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