CALA News & Views | Issue 48 | Impact

Dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease: AB 21 (Gipson) Peace Officers: Training – Support This bill, sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association, is a reintroduction of a bill from last session that would require police officers receive dementia-specific training to help with interactions with people living with dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association will continue to work to pass this important legislation. AB 21 is currently on the Assembly Appropriations suspense file due to fiscal impact. AB 387 (Aguiar-Curry) Alzheimer’s Disease – Support This Alzheimer’s Association sponsored bill would expand the number and representation on the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Advisory Committee and rename it the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Conditions Advisory Committee. This bill was a partial reintroduction of one from last session. Importantly, new representation on this advisory committee would include a primary care physician and a first responder. This bill is in the Senate Appropriations Committee, and we expect work will continue on this bill next year. AB 423 (Maienschein) Department of Justice: Missing Persons – Suppor t AB 423 is similar to a bill from last session and is sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Associations of Orange County, Los Angeles County and San Diego County. This bill would establish a workgroup through the state attorney general to study wandering and create a report to provide education and training to professionals and family members, technological solutions, coordination of social services and law enforcement, and public awareness. CALA believed it was important to support this bill because there is a barrier with various law enforcement agencies sharing information about wandering individuals that makes it more difficult to find them. This bill is currently in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. SB 639 (Limón) Alzheimer’s Disease – Support SB 639 (Limón), sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association, builds on previous legislation that would provide a comprehensive approach to the diagnosis, treatment and education of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias across the state and encourage the creation of diagnostic hubs to help secure access to new clinical therapies coming to market. This bill would also continue and expand upon the cognitive health assessment training and validated tool for Medi-Cal beneficiaries and provide information to persons diagnosed with dementia and their care partners about home- and community-based services. This bill was very close to moving to the governor but the Department of Health Care Services had late amendments relating to the Medi-Cal portion so it was pulled from consideration to allow more time to work on it.

CALA NEWS & VIEWS I ISSUE 48 | NOVEMBER 2023

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