The BOLD Act for Alzheimer's PASSED. Thank you Congress!

Congress takes BOLD bipartisan action by passing the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act (S. 2076)
Letter to the Editor

Congress took decisive action passing the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act (S. 2076). Endorsed by the Alzheimer’s Association, the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act will create an Alzheimer’s public health infrastructure across the country to implement effective Alzheimer's interventions including increasing early detection and diagnosis, reducing risk and preventing avoidable hospitalizations.

The BOLD Act was introduced in November of 2017 and quickly gained bi-partisan support as Alzheimer’s advocates across the country shared their stories with legislators. I am one of those advocates. As a son who lost a mother to Alzheimer's, I saw how devastating Alzheimer's can be to the family and caregivers . I urged Rep. David Scott of Georgia District 13 to support the effort to address Alzheimer’s and other dementias as a public health issue. The BOLD Act passed the Senate thirteen months later on December 12th and was passed/agreed on in the House December 19th. It is expected to be signed into law in the next few days.

Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in the U.S. and impacts over 5.7 million Americans that are diagnosed with it, not to mention their multitude of care partners. Utilizing the existing public health infrastructure to increase awareness of the disease, creating centers for excellence around the country and collecting data will improve early and accurate diagnosis. This step will lead to reduced costs of care and improved quality of life for those diagnosed with the disease.

Join me in thanking Congress, especially Rep. David Scott for supporting this legislation and taking BOLD action to address Alzheimer’s and other dementias in our country.

Jim Williams
Alzheimer's Volunteer Ambassador
Alzheimer's Association
Georgia Chapter