November 22, 2024 - Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, the U.S. Senate passed the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Reauthorization Act of 2024, bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.). The bill will reauthorize funding to combat Alzheimer’s disease and preserve brain health. These initiatives began when the original BOLD Act, authored by this same bipartisan group of four senators, was signed into law in 2018. The bill now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.)

“Fighting Alzheimer’s is personal to me, and I’m proud the Senate passed our bipartisan bill to improve Alzheimer’s care for families in Nevada and across our county,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “The BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Reauthorization Act will expand resources for research and treatment, strengthen support for caregivers, and build on the progress we’ve made over the past five years. I urge the president to sign it into law as soon as possible.”

This bipartisan legislation will help to translate research findings into practical inventions, helping communities implement strategies that promote brain health and improve care for those affected by Alzheimer’s disease. The BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Reauthorization Act will authorize $33 million per year over the next five years to support:

1. Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Public Health Centers of Excellence dedicated to promoting effective Alzheimer’s disease and caregiving interventions, as well as educating the public on Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive decline, and brain health. The three current Centers have established themselves as national resources and are supporting nationwide implementation of the actions outlined in the CDC’s Healthy Brain Initiative’s Road Map. Each center is focused on a key issue related to dementia – from risk reduction to early detection to caregiving.

2. Public Health Cooperative Agreements with the CDC that are awarded to State Health Departments to help them meet local needs in promoting brain health, reducing risk of cognitive decline, improving care for those with Alzheimer’s, and other key public health activities. More than 40 Public Health Departments, including Maine, across the United States are now promoting a strong public health approach to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias with the support of BOLD awards.

3. Data Grants to improve the analysis and timely reporting of data on Alzheimer’s, cognitive decline, caregiving, and health disparities at the state and national levels.

Approximately 6.9 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, including 55,000 people in Nevada. Barring any major breakthroughs to prevent, slow down, or cure Alzheimer’s, the number of Americans with Alzheimer’s is expected to double by 2060, the third highest growth rate in the nation.

The BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Reauthorization Act is endorsed by the Alzheimer’s Association, the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement, and UsAgainstAlzheimer’s.

Senator Cortez Masto is a leader in the Senate in ensuring Nevadans can access quality, affordable healthcare. She leads the bipartisan legislation to extend and increase Medicare payments for emergency ambulances in rural and urban communities. She has cosponsored legislation to make health care more affordable by giving Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices for seniors, capping drug costs, and limiting egregious price hikes by drug manufacturers. 
Source: Senator Catherine Cortez Masto