An Act to Establish the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1677
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: SHAGOURY, MOORE
Amends: 5 MRSA §12004-I, 22 MRSA §1700-H

Legislative Document
No. 1677
H.P. 1112
House of Representatives, April 17, 2025
An Act to Establish the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias 
Prevention and Support Program
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative SHAGOURY of Hallowell.
Cosponsored by Senator MOORE of Washington and
Representatives: CLOUTIER of Lewiston, GRAHAM of North Yarmouth, GRIFFIN of 
Levant, MCCABE of Lewiston, SARGENT of York.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §12004-I, sub-§47-J is enacted to read:
47-J.  
Human Services: 
Public Health
Healthy Brain Initiative Council
Not Authorized
MRSA 
§1700-H
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA c. 279 is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 279
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND RELATED DEMENTIAS PREVENTION AND 
SUPPORT PROGRAM
§1700-F. Definitions
For the purposes of this chapter, unless the context indicates otherwise, the following 
terms have the following meanings. 
1.  Council.  "Council" means the Healthy Brain Initiative Council established in 
section 1700-H. 
2.  Plan.  "Plan" means the Alzheimer's disease and related dementias prevention and 
support plan described in section 1700-I.
3.  Program.  "Program" means the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias 
Prevention and Support Program established in section 1700-G. 
§1700-G.  Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Prevention and Support 
Program
The Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Prevention and Support Program is 
established in the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention within the department. 
1.  Administration.  The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention shall 
administer the program in consultation with the office of aging and disability services 
within the department. 
2.  Program objectives.  The program shall engage in activities to support the 
following objectives: 
A.  Educating and informing the public about Alzheimer's disease and related 
dementias using evidence-based public health research and data; 
B.  Supporting early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and related 
dementias;
C.  Reducing the risk of potentially avoidable hospitalizations for individuals with 
Alzheimer's disease or related dementias; 
D.  Reducing the risk of cognitive decline in individuals with Alzheimer's disease or 
related dementias; and
E.  Supporting care planning and management for individuals with Alzheimer's disease 
or related dementias.
§1700-H. Healthy Brain Initiative Council
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention within the department shall 
establish and convene the Healthy Brain Initiative Council to examine the needs of 
individuals living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias, the services available in 
the State for those individuals and the ability of health care providers and facilities to meet 
those individuals' current and future needs. 
1.  Membership.  The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention shall invite 
individuals representing the following entities and constituencies to participate as members 
of the council: 
A.  Families affected by Alzheimer's disease or related dementias; 
B.  Providers of long-term services and supports, which may include, but are not limited 
to, providers from nursing facilities, providers from assisted living facilities and 
providers offering home and community-based services; 
C.  Physicians with experience diagnosing and treating Alzheimer's disease and related 
dementias; 
D.  Primary care physicians and other primary care providers; 
E.  Nationwide organizations advocating for older adults or individuals living with 
Alzheimer's disease or related dementias; 
F.  Area agencies on aging; 
G.  Institutions with experience in biomedical research related to Alzheimer's disease 
or related dementias; 
H.  The long-term care ombudsman program established pursuant to section 5106, 
subsection 11-C;
I.  The office of aging and disability services within the department; and
J.  Any other appropriate state agency. 
2.  Meetings.  The council shall meet no fewer than 4 times per calendar year. 
3.  Duties.  The council shall: 
A.  Examine: 
(1)  The needs of individuals living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias; 
(2)  The services currently available in the State for individuals under subparagraph 
(1) and their family caregivers; and 
(3)  The current ability of health care providers and facilities to meet the present 
and future needs of individuals under subparagraph (1);
B.  Consider and make findings and recommendations on:
(1)  Trends in the populations and service needs of individuals in the State living 
with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias;
(2)  The existing resources and services for the diagnosis and care of individuals 
living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias in this State, including the 
State's capacity to offer these resources and services; and
(3)  Policies and strategies designed to address:
(a)  Increasing public awareness of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias 
and promoting brain health and risk reduction strategies;
(b)  Educating health care providers to increase early detection and diagnosis 
of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias; 
(c)  Improving access to and quality of care for individuals living with 
Alzheimer's disease or related dementias;  
(d)  Assisting unpaid caregivers for individuals living with Alzheimer's disease 
or related dementias; 
(e)  Increasing and improving research on Alzheimer's disease and related 
dementias;
(f)  Improving the collection of data and information related to, and the public 
health burdens of, Alzheimer's disease and related dementias;  
(g)  Improving strategies to address the safety-related needs of individuals 
living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias; 
(h)  Improving legal protections for individuals living with Alzheimer's disease 
or related dementias; and 
(i)  Improving the ways in which the State evaluates and adopts policies to 
assist individuals living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias and their 
families; and
C.  Collaborate with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to develop 
the plan described in section 1700-I. 
4.  Funding.  The council may accept grant funding and other funding as may be 
available from the Federal Government; any department, office or political subdivision of 
the State; or any individual, foundation or corporation to be used for the purpose of 
performing the council's duties pursuant to this section.
§1700-I. Alzheimer's disease and related dementias prevention and support plan
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention within the department and the 
Healthy Brain Initiative Council shall create the Alzheimer's disease and related dementias 
prevention and support plan.  The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention shall 
submit the plan to the Governor and the Legislature by December 3, 2025. 
1.  Contents of plan.  The plan must contain the findings and recommendations of the 
council pursuant to section 1700-H, subsection 3. The plan must be developed with 
significant input from the nongovernmental members of the council. The plan must include 
recommendations of which state agencies should be involved in implementing the plan. 
2.  Implementation progress reports.  Beginning January 30, 2027, and annually on 
January 30th each year thereafter, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention 
shall submit to the Governor and the Legislature a report on the status of the 
implementation of the plan.  The report must be made available to the public. 
3.  Update plan every 5 years.  Every 5 years, beginning 5 years from the date the 
first plan is submitted, the council shall submit to the Governor and the Legislature an 
updated plan.
Sec. 3.  Alzheimer's disease or related dementias prevention and support 
plan.  A plan that is in effect on the effective date of this Act that was developed by the 
Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention within the Department of Health and 
Human Services, in consultation with stakeholders, to address Alzheimer's disease or 
related dementias prevention and support, is deemed to fulfill the requirement to create a 
plan by December 3, 2025 under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 1700-I. 
Pursuant to Title 22, section 1700-I, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention 
shall submit the plan to the Governor and the Legislature by December 3, 2025.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Prevention and 
Support Program, which the Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Center for 
Disease Control and Prevention must administer in consultation with the Department of 
Health and Human Services, office of aging and disability services. The program's 
objectives include public education, supporting efforts for early detection and diagnosis, 
reducing cognitive decline and other negative outcomes and supporting care planning and 
management. 
The bill also creates the Healthy Brain Initiative Council as an advisory board 
composed of various stakeholders including, but not limited to, families affected by 
Alzheimer's disease or related dementias, medical professionals and medical facilities that 
treat individuals with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias, research and advocacy 
organizations and employees of the office of aging and disability services. The council is 
responsible for studying and developing findings and recommendations on a series of 
topics including, but not limited to, the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease or related 
dementias in this State, the treatment and care available and policies that address public 
awareness, prevention and early detection, treatment and care, safety concerns, legal 
concerns, research and assistance to families. 
By December 3, 2025, the council must submit to the Governor and the Legislature a 
5-year plan outlining its recommendations to address the concerns the council is tasked 
with studying under the bill.  A plan that is in effect on the effective date of this legislation 
that was developed by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in consultation 
with stakeholders, to address Alzheimer's disease or related dementias prevention and 
support, is deemed to fulfill the requirement to create a plan by December 3, 2025.  The 
Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is required to issue annual updates on the 
progress of the plan's implementation, and the council is required to issue an updated plan 
every 5 years.