U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) on Monday applauded passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of two bipartisan bills she sponsored that aim to build on federal progress to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease. Both bills now head to the president’s desk to be signed into law.
“We have made tremendous progress in recent years to boost funding for Alzheimer’s research, which holds great promise to end this disease that has had a devastating effect on millions of Americans and their families,” said Sen. Collins, a founder and co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease.
“These two bills will maintain our momentum and make sure that we do not take our foot off the pedal just as our investments in basic research are beginning to translate into potential new treatments,” she said.
The National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) Reauthorization Act, S. 133, which Sen. Collins authored with U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), and the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act, S. 134, which she authored with U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), both received approval from the U.S. Senate on July 30.
Once enacted, S. 133 will reauthorize NAPA through 2035 and modernize the legislation to reflect progress made to understand the disease, such as including a new focus on promoting healthy aging and reducing risk factors, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Collins’ staff.
S. 133 also will update language in recognition of the need to include underserved populations, including individuals with Down syndrome, who are at increased risk for Alzheimer’s as they age, the summary says.
Likewise, S. 134 will continue through 2035 a requirement that the director of the National Institutes of Health submit an annual budget to Congress estimating the funding necessary to fully implement NAPA’s research goals, states the summary.
Both measures received support from the Alzheimer’s Association and UsAgainstAlzheimer’s.
“We must not let Alzheimer’s be one of the defining diseases of our children’s generation as it has ours,” said Sen. Collins.