Supporters say the goal of SB 1210, currently making its way through the Arizona legislature, is to advocate for the more than 150,000 Arizonans 65 and older who are currently living with Alzheimer's disease.
The bill has been moving through committees; on March 19, it was approved by the House Appropriations Committee, getting strong support from both Democrats and Republicans. It passed in the Arizona Senate several weeks ago and is sponsored by Sen. Tim Dunn, a Republican from Legislative District 25, covering parts of Maricopa and Yuma Counties.
If SB 1210 passes, it would give $500,000 from the state's general fund to the Arizona Department of Health Services to disburse to a nonprofit organization to create more awareness and outreach for the disease throughout rural Arizona and underserved areas of the Valley.
This current fiscal year, the Alzheimer's Association's Desert Southwest chapter was given the money.
Lawmakers amended the amount down from the initial request of $750,000. In addition, whichever organization is given the $500,000 from the general fund would need to get matched dollars through grants and donations, as stipulated in an amendment to the bill.
According to the Alzheimer's Association, roughly 6.9 million people 65 and older have Alzheimer's disease across the nation, with 151,500 living right here in Arizona.
In addition, Arizona has 292,000 individuals serving as unpaid caretakers, according to the Alzheimer's Association.
"My passion has become my purpose," explains Deanie Wlodek, who has served as a caretaker for loved ones living with the disease.
But Deanie doesn't just talk the talk - she walks the walk - quite literally! She volunteers for the Alzheimer's Association's Walk to End Alzheimer's and is a dedicated advocate for people living with the disease.
And it seems lawmakers at the Arizona Capitol are noticing the need for more assistance and awareness when it comes to Alzheimer's disease as well.
ABC15 has been tracking SB 1210 for the last few weeks, listening in to a hearing held by the House Appropriations Committee on March 19, which ultimately voted to move the bill forward.
"We want people to know that there is hope," explained Terri Spitz, Executive Director of the Desert Southwest Chapter for the Alzheimer's Association.
Spitz wasn't the only one who testified; several lawmakers, both Republican and Democrat, shared very personal stories about how Alzheimer's disease has impacted their own families.
"To watch all of that dim very quickly and diminish was hard," said Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, a Democrat from District 21, discussing the impact it had on her family, having her father go through the disease.
"In talking with some family members of my own, talking about the bills and stuff that we did, we read the literature, and they went out and did some of the testing, and they are on some of the medication," said Dist. 25 Senator Tim Dunn, who sponsored the bill. "It does help and it does work. We just need to get the word out, especially in rural Arizona."
The bill got near-unanimous approval to move forward, except for two Republicans, including Dist. 10 Representative Justin Olson, who sent ABC15 the following statement:
I definitely support the great work the Alzheimer’s Association is doing to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s. I just think that the association should be privately funded through charitable donation rather than publicly funded with Arizonan’s tax dollars. I understand that the association receives a substantial amount of charitable donations. I believe that these private donations are the appropriate method to raise funds for this effort.
The next step for SB 1210 will be for it to go to the House Rules Committee before going to the full House for a vote.
One of the requirements of SB 1210 is it requires the organization that receives the money to maintain a 24/7 hotline to support people and caretakers dealing with Alzheimer's.
The Alzheimer's Association has a helpline you can reach 24/7 at 1-800-272-3900. The group tells ABC15 that from April 2024 to January 2025, calls to the helpline spiked by 22%.
Count on ABC15 to continue following up on SB 1210 as it makes its way through the legislature.
