Chapter 174 |
2019 -- H 5178 SUBSTITUTE A Enacted 07/15/2019 |
A N A C T |
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- ESTABLISHING A PROGRAM WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO ADDRESS ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE |
Introduced By: Representatives Shekarchi, Noret, Ackerman, McNamara, and Jackson |
Date Introduced: January 24, 2019 |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
SECTION 1. Title 23 of the General Laws entitled "HEALTH AND SAFETY" is hereby |
amended by adding thereto the following chapter: |
CHAPTER 1.7 |
THE RHODE ISLAND PROGRAM TO ADDRESS ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE |
23-1.7-1. Duties -- Director of the department of health. |
The director of the department of health shall develop and carry out an assessment of all |
state programs that address Alzheimer's disease and shall maintain and annually update the Rhode |
Island state plan for Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, and promulgate rules and |
regulations to implement the purpose of this chapter. |
23-1.7-2. Creation of advisory council. |
(a) There is hereby established a council to be called the "Advisory Council on |
Alzheimer's Disease Research and Treatment." The advisory council shall consist of thirteen (13) |
members to be composed as follows: the lieutenant governor, or designee; the director of the |
department of health, or designee; the director of the division of elderly affairs office of healthy |
aging, or designee; the chairperson of the long-term care coordinating council; one member |
appointed by the speaker of the house; one member appointed by the president of the senate; and |
seven (7) members appointed by the governor. The members appointed by the governor shall |
include one member who is an Alzheimer's disease patient advocate; one member who is an |
Alzheimer's disease caregiver; one member who is a health care healthcare provider; one |
member who is a researcher with Alzheimer's-related expertise in basic, translational, clinical, or |
drug-development science; one member who is a representative from an Alzheimer's disease |
organization that funds research and has demonstrated experience in care and patient services; |
one member from an Alzheimer's advocacy organization that provides services to families and |
professionals, including information and referrals, support groups, care consultation, education, |
and safety services; and one member who is a representative of a health care healthcare insurer. |
Advisory council members shall select their own chairperson. Seven (7) members shall constitute |
a quorum. |
(b) The member appointed by the speaker of the house, the member appointed by the |
president of the senate, and three (3) members appointed by the governor shall be initially |
appointed for a term to expire July 1, 2020, and four (4) members to be appointed by the governor |
shall be initially appointed for a term to expire July 1, 2021. After the initial term, the appointed |
members shall serve two-(2) year (2) terms, until their successor is appointed. |
23-1.7-3. Advisory council responsibility. |
(a) The advisory council shall meet at least quarterly and shall advise the governor, |
speaker of the house, and president of the senate on developments and advances on the diagnosis, |
treatment, and prevention of Alzheimer's disease. |
(b) In coordination with the department of health, the advisory council shall determine |
the number of residents diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease to ascertain the number of residents |
diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, regardless of age. |
(c) The advisory council shall identify available resources and services needed for the |
treatment and care of residents diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. |
(d) Annually, not later than March 1, the advisory council shall provide a report to the |
director of the department of health with a copy to the governor, the speaker of the house, and the |
president of the senate, which shall include: |
(1) Information and recommendations on Alzheimer's disease policy; |
(2) An evaluation of all state-funded efforts in Alzheimer's disease research, clinical care, |
institutional, home-based, and community-based programs; and |
(3) Recommended amendments, updates, and changes to the state plan for Alzheimer's |
disease and related disorders. |
23-1.7-4. Assessment protocol. |
(a) The director of the department of health shall establish and publish an Alzheimer's |
disease assessment protocol specifically focused on recognizing the signs and symptoms of |
cognitive impairments, including, but not limited to, Alzheimer's disease and appropriate resource |
information for effective medical screening, investigation, and service planning. |
(b) The director of the department of health shall make available upon request a copy of |
the assessment protocol to protective-services caseworkers, health care healthcare professionals, |
and members of the public. |
(c) Protective-services caseworkers assigned to or employed by the department of elderly |
affairs office on healthy aging shall be familiar with the information contained in the assessment |
protocol. |
23-1.7-5. Medical professional training. |
(a) All physicians licensed pursuant to chapter 37 of title 5, and nurses licensed pursuant |
to chapter 34 of title 5, shall, no later than October 1, 2021, complete a one-time course of |
training consisting of a minimum of one hour of instruction on the diagnosis, treatment, and care |
of patients with cognitive impairments including, but not limited to, Alzheimer's disease and |
dementia. |
(b) The department of health shall promulgate rules to implement the training |
requirement of subsection (a) of this section. |
23-1.7-6. Health care Healthcare facility plan. |
(a) Every health care healthcare facility as defined in ยง 23-7-2 23-17-2 shall, not later |
than October 1, 2021, complete and implement an operational plan for the recognition and |
management of patients with Alzheimer's disease or dementia. |
(b) The department of health shall promulgate rules and regulations to implement the |
operational plan requirements of subsection (a) of this section. |
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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LC000452/SUB A |
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