H 7542Medical Services

Health and Safety - Rhode Island Program to Address Alzheimer's Disease

This bill creates a new job in the Health Department to coordinate services for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Held for study

Population
Affected

Introduced Feb 6, 2026Committee House Health & Human Services

Plain-English Summary

This bill establishes a new, full-time position called the "dementia services coordinator" within the Rhode Island Department of Health. This coordinator will be responsible for managing the state's approach to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Their duties include overseeing the state plan, analyzing data, evaluating current services, identifying grant opportunities, and coordinating with other agencies to prevent duplication of efforts. The coordinator will also work alongside the existing advisory council on Alzheimer's disease to support patients and caregivers.

For younger readers

This law creates a special job for a person who will work for the state health department. This person's main goal is to help people who have memory sicknesses like Alzheimer's disease. They will make a plan to help these sick people and their families. This worker will also look for money to pay for help and make sure that doctors and other helpers are working together. This helps ensure that people with memory problems get the best care possible without everyone doing the same work twice.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

People with dementiaCaregivers and familiesDepartment of Health employeesHealthcare providersTaxpayers

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

Amount unknown

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Establishes a dedicated government role to advocate for and coordinate care for vulnerable individuals suffering from dementia, ensuring they receive focused state support.
Enhances the efficiency of public health services by preventing the duplication of efforts and coordinating resources among various agencies and providers.
Mandates the identification of grant opportunities to expand services, potentially increasing funding for social safety nets supporting patients and their caregivers.
Creates only a single coordinator position, which may be insufficient to address the systemic scale of the dementia crisis without a larger dedicated staff or budget.
Does not explicitly mandate new direct funding or expanded healthcare coverage for patients, relying instead on coordination and grant-seeking.
Places the position within the existing bureaucracy of the Department of Health, where it could potentially be stifled by administrative red tape or competing priorities.

For Conservatives

Explicitly tasks the coordinator with preventing the duplication of services and initiatives, potentially reducing government waste and redundancy.
Focuses on coordinating existing public and private resources rather than immediately creating expensive new entitlement programs or mandates.
Supports families and caregivers who are managing the care of relatives with dementia, aligning with traditional values of family responsibility and care for the elderly.
Expands the size of the state government by creating a permanent, full-time position within the classified service, adding to the public payroll.
Increases long-term taxpayer obligations through salary and benefits for a new civil service employee, contributing to the growth of the administrative state.
Centralizes health decisions and oversight within a state department, potentially reducing the autonomy of private providers and local organizations.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 24 additions

SECTION 1. Chapter 23-1.7 of the General Laws entitled "Rhode Island Program to Address Alzheimer’s Disease" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following sections: 23-1.7-8. Creation of dementia services coordinator.

(a) The department of health shall establish a dementia services coordinator that shall be a full-time position within state government and shall be in the classified service.

(b) The dementia services coordinator shall have the following duties:

(1) Coordinate the department's approach to addressing Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia including, but not limited to, public awareness, prevention, and early detection;

(2) Oversee the implementation and updating of the Rhode Island Alzheimer's disease and related disorder state plan;

(3) Assess and analyze dementia-related data collected by the state;

(4) Evaluate state-funded dementia services;

(5) Identify and support the provision of dementia-specific training programs;

(6) Establish and maintain relationships with agencies, providers, and organizations within the state in order to meet the needs of those affected by dementia and prevent the duplication of services and initiatives;

(7) Recommend strategies to improve coordination of dementia-related services and resources provided by public and private entities;

(8) Recommend strategies to improve coordination of dementia-related services and resources provided by public and private entities;

(9) Identify grant opportunities to expand services for persons living the dementia as determined by the department; and

(10) Carry out other duties relevant to the support of individuals with dementia and their caregivers as determined by the department.

(b) The dementia services coordinator shall work in coordination with the advisory council on Alzheimer's disease and related disorders created pursuant to § 23-1.7-2.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.