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9/19/2025
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Legislative sponsors join governor for ceremonial signing of Alzheimer’s and dementia awareness law
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 STATE HOUSE — Deputy Majority Whip Mia A. Ackerman and Sen. Pamela J. Lauria joined Governor Dan McKee today for a ceremonial signing of legislation they sponsored to improve public health education about Alzheimer’s and dementia.
“Alzheimer’s is a growing health crisis in our state: currently the fifth leaning cause of death, it will only get worse if we do not take action now,” said Representative Ackerman (D-Dist. 45, Cumberland, Lincoln). “This bill is an important part of Rhode Island’s efforts to keep our citizens healthy and to reverse this trend, because despite the staggering impacts of this disease, public education about Alzheimer’s still lags behind. Early intervention has never been more important when treating Alzheimer’s than it is now, yet while people know about Alzheimer’s, but they don’t know what to look for, and they don’t know what to do when they see it.”
The law (2025-H 5619, 2025-S 0481) directs the Department of Health to work with the state advisory council on Alzheimer’s to develop and distribute educational materials concerning Alzheimer’s and dementia through their existing public health outreach programs. These materials will educate the public and medical providers on topics including the importance of prevention, of recognizing early warning signs, how other chronic health conditions impact and contribute to Alzheimer’s and dementia, the value of regular cognitive assessments during annual wellness visits and the available treatments and methods of effective care planning for patients.
“Right now, the treatments we have for Alzheimer’s and dementia can only slow down the progression of the disease, which is why it is vitally important that we catch them as soon as possible so that those medications and treatments have the opportunity to do the best that they can for patients and their families,” said Senator Lauria (D-Dist. 32, Barrington, Bristol, East Providence), who works as primary care nurse practitioner. “Every day I see people who are worried about their memory and oftentimes they are quite far down the continuum of their dementia, limiting the effectiveness of treatment. This law addresses this issue by working directly with clinicians to give them tools to do more effectively diagnose Alzheimer’s and dementia early, when treatments can do the most good.”
Representative Ackerman and Senator Lauria spoke in March at the Rhode Island Alzheimer’s Association State Advocacy Day in support of this bill, which was one of the association’s top legislative priorities for the year.
IN PHOTO: From left, Rep. Mia A. Ackerman and Sen. Pamela J. Lauria
For more information, contact:
Tristan Grau, Publicist
State House Room B20
Providence, RI 02903
401.222.4935
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