CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

97

CHAPTER 175

Statutes of 2026

Introduced by Assembly Member Michelle Rodriguez

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Ahrens, Alanis, Alvarez, Arambula, Ávila Farías, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bryan, Calderon, Caloza, Carrillo, Castillo, Chen, Connolly, Davies, DeMaio, Dixon, Elhawary, Ellis, Flora, Fong, Gabriel, Garcia, Gipson, Jeff Gonzalez, Mark González, Hadwick, Haney, Harabedian, Hart, Hoover, Irwin, Kalra, Krell, Lackey, Lee, Lowenthal, Macedo, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Nguyen, Ortega, Pacheco, Papan, Patel, Patterson, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Ransom, Rivas, Rogers, Blanca Rubio, Sanchez, Schultz, Solache, Soria, Stefani, Ta, Tangipa, Valencia, Wallis, Ward, Wicks, Wilson, and Zbur)

June 4, 2026

Relative to Alzheimer’s Disease and Brain Awareness Month.

Fiscal committee: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

This measure would declare the month of June 2026 as Alzheimer’s Disease and Brain Awareness Month, and would urge all Californians to commemorate the month of June 2026 as Alzheimer’s Disease and Brain Awareness Month.

WHEREAS, The month of June 2026 has been declared Alzheimer’s Disease and Brain Awareness Month to help educate the public on this debilitating disease, increase efforts to combat its human and economic costs, and encourage all Californians to take charge of their brain health; and

WHEREAS, Brain health is a lifelong priority, not an issue limited to older age; and

WHEREAS, This month is designed to raise awareness to understand how to reduce the risk of cognitive decline as a public health priority. There are meaningful actions that can protect brain health, and this month brings attention to ensure that science reaches people and systems in ways that make a real difference. By building momentum to connect efforts across individuals, communities, workplaces, and health care, we can build a more equitable framework to support cognitive health and help reduce dementia risk for everyone; and

WHEREAS, California has 720,000 residents living with Alzheimer’s disease, more than any other state in the nation; and

WHEREAS, Alzheimer’s disease was the leading cause of death in adults 85 years of age and older, and the second leading cause of death overall, in California in 2024, as stated in the 2026 California State of Public Health Report; and

WHEREAS, Recent research published by the State Department of Public Health in 2021 indicates that, over the next 20 years, the impact of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia will increase dramatically. While the population of California will expand by 16 percent, the population of people living with Alzheimer’s disease will expand by 127 percent; and

WHEREAS, Research on the expansion of people living with Alzheimer’s disease showed communities of color will shoulder a disproportionate share of the increase in the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease. The number of Latinx or Hispanic Californians living with Alzheimer’s disease will nearly triple by 2040. Additionally, the number of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders living with Alzheimer’s disease will more than double; and

WHEREAS, Californians with dementia will visit emergency departments nearly 1,000,000 times per year and are readmitted to the hospital one out of five times after discharge; and

WHEREAS, Alzheimer’s disease is a family disease, impacting 1,403,000 California spouses, partners, children, siblings, grandchildren, and other relatives who provide unpaid assistance to a loved one; and

WHEREAS, California caregivers devote approximately 1,900,000,000 hours of unpaid assistance to family members, valued at over $53,200,000,000 in nongovernmental financial support; and

WHEREAS, Disparities in detection and diagnosis persist, resulting in less than 50 percent of individuals affected by the disease receiving a formal diagnosis that is disclosed to them by a clinician and documented in their medical record; and

WHEREAS, On average, a person 65 years of age and older lives 4 to 8 years after a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, but may live as long as 20 years, depending on other factors; and

WHEREAS, Age is the greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, which has no proven way to prevent it and currently has no cure; and

WHEREAS, Californians invest in Alzheimer’s disease research through the voluntary contribution funds and have raised more than $25,000,000 since its inception for research into treatments to slow the progression of, and develop a cure for, the disease; and

WHEREAS, Individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers need acknowledgment, support, and services to meet their needs over the lengthy progression of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature declares June 2026 as Alzheimer’s Disease and Brain Awareness Month, and urges all Californians to commemorate the month of June 2026 as Alzheimer’s Disease and Brain Awareness Month; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.