IV 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 237 
Declaring that achieving the primary goal of the National Plan to Address 
Alzheimer’s Disease of the Department of Health and Human Services 
to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease by 2025 is an urgent 
national priority. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 30, 2015 
Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California (for herself, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, 
Mr. FATTAH, and Mr. GARAMENDI) submitted the following resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in 
addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Declaring that achieving the primary goal of the National 
Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease of the Department 
of Health and Human Services to prevent and effectively 
treat Alzheimer’s disease by 2025 is an urgent national 
priority. 
Whereas the number of individuals in the United States with 
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (referred to in 
this preamble as ‘‘Alzheimer’s’’) is as high as 5,200,000, 
which is more than double the number in 1980; 
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•HRES 237 IH 
Whereas based on the trajectory of Alzheimer’s, as many as 
16,000,000 individuals in the United States may have 
Alzheimer’s by 2050; 
Whereas the increasing prevalence of Alzheimer’s and other 
dementias is a global health crisis that afflicts an esti-
mated 44,000,000 individuals worldwide as of December, 
2013 and may afflict over 135,000,000 individuals by 
2050; 
Whereas Alzheimer’s is a leading cause of death in the 
United States with new data indicating that more than 
500,000 deaths each year are attributable to the disease; 
Whereas Alzheimer’s is the only disease among the top 10 
causes of death in the United States without an effective 
means of prevention, treatment, or cure; 
Whereas Alzheimer’s places an enormous financial strain on 
families, the health care system, and State and Federal 
budgets; 
Whereas the Medicare program under title XVIII of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) and the Med-
icaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) are estimated to bear more than 
two-thirds of the total costs of this care in 2015; 
Whereas a RAND Corporation study published in 2013 and 
commissioned by the National Institute on Aging found 
that Alzheimer’s is the costliest disease in the United 
States, costing more than cancer and heart disease; 
Whereas in 2013, an estimated 15,500,000 family members 
and friends of individuals with Alzheimer’s provided those 
individuals with 17,700,000,000 hours of unpaid care, an 
amount valued at more than $220,000,000; 
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•HRES 237 IH 
Whereas Alzheimer’s disease has a disproportionate impact 
on many populations including women, African-Ameri-
cans, and Latinos; 
Whereas 
the 
global 
cost 
of 
Alzheimer’s 
exceeds 
$600,000,000,000 each year, an amount equal to ap-
proximately 1 percent of the world’s gross domestic prod-
uct; 
Whereas in December 2013, the G–8 nations met and adopt-
ed a political declaration supporting the goal of a cure or 
disease-modifying therapy for dementia by 2025 as well 
as collectively and significantly increasing resources com-
mitted to dementia research; 
Whereas Alzheimer’s takes an emotional and physical toll on 
caregivers that results in a higher incidence of chronic 
conditions, such as heart disease, cancer, and depression 
among caregivers; 
Whereas the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease of 
the Department of Health and Human Services enables 
family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s to pro-
vide care while maintaining personal health and well- 
being; 
Whereas the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease 
supports informal caregivers by— 
(1) identifying the support needs of caregivers; 
(2) developing and disseminating modes for interven-
tion; 
(3) providing information that caregivers need, par-
ticularly in crisis situations; and 
(4) assisting caregivers in maintaining personal 
health and well-being; 
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•HRES 237 IH 
Whereas a strong and sustained research effort is the best 
tool to slow the progression and ultimately prevent the 
onset of Alzheimer’s; 
Whereas while the cost to the Medicare and Medicaid pro-
grams of caring for Alzheimer’s patients is estimated to 
be $153,000,000,000 in 2015, the United States, 
through the National Institutes of Health, will spend 
about $586,000,000 on Alzheimer’s research in 2015; 
Whereas the Chairman of the Advisory Council on Alz-
heimer’s Research, Care, and Services created by the Na-
tional Alzheimer’s Project Act (42 U.S.C. 11225) has 
testified before Congress that the United States must de-
vote at least $2,000,000,000 each year to Alzheimer’s re-
search to reach the goal of preventing and effectively 
treating Alzheimer’s by 2025; and 
Whereas the public members of the Advisory Council on Alz-
heimer’s Research, Care, and Services unanimously agree 
with the testimony of the Chairman regarding the 
amount of money required to reach the goal for 2025: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) is committed to strengthening the quality of 
care and expanding support for individuals with Alz-
heimer’s disease and related dementias (referred to 
in this resolution as ‘‘Alzheimer’s’’) and family care-
givers of individuals with Alzheimer’s; 
(2) declares that achieving the primary goal of 
the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease to 
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•HRES 237 IH 
prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s by 2025 is 
an urgent national priority; 
(3) recognizes that bold action and considerable 
increases in funding are necessary to meet that goal; 
(4) encourages greater collaboration between 
the United States and other global governments, 
particularly the G–7 nations, to advance a global 
Alzheimer’s and dementia research plan; 
(5) supports innovative public-private partner-
ship and the pursuit of innovative financing tools, 
incentives and other mechanisms to accelerate the 
pursuit of disease-modifying therapies; and 
(6) strives to— 
(A) significantly increase the amount of 
funding the United States spends on Alz-
heimer’s research in fiscal year 2016; and 
(B) develop a plan for fiscal years 2017 
through 2020 to meet the target of the Advi-
sory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care, 
and Services for the United States to spend 
$2,000,000,000 each year on Alzheimer’s re-
search. 
Æ 
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