BILL ANALYSIS
SJR 4
Page 1
Date of Hearing: June 23, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON AGING AND LONG-TERM CARE
Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair
SJR 4 (Correa) - As Amended: May 20, 2009
SENATE VOTE : 32-1
SUBJECT : Alzheimer's Silver Alert Program.
SUMMARY : Urges the President and Congress of the United States
to establish an Alzheimer's Silver Alert Program. Specifically,
this bill :
1)Makes various findings and declarations including:
a) At least 5.2 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's
disease;
b) 60 percent of patients with Alzheimer's disease will
wander away from home and only 4 percent will be able to
find their way home without assistance;
c) Half of seniors and others with dementia who wander away
from home sustain injury if they are not found within 24
hours;
d) The senior population has been steadily growing and the
aging of the baby boomer generation will likely increase
the number of persons suffering from dementia;
e) A new type of missing persons program known as Silver
Alert has been developed and adopted by several states;
and,
f) A nationally coordinated program, similar to the Amber
Alert program for missing children could promote best
practices and spread those best practices to other states
resulting in a national program incorporating the media and
law enforcement.
2)Urges the President and Congress of the United States to act
to establish federally-controlled Alzheimer's Silver Alert
program to aid states in establishing local Silver Alert
programs.
3)Requires the Secretary of the Senate to transmit copies of the
resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
States, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the
Majority Leader of the Senate, and each Senator and
Representative from California in the Congress of the United
SJR 4
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States.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown.
COMMENTS :
According to the California Alzheimer's Disease Data Report
developed by the Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's disease is
the most common type of dementia. The disease can affect
individuals differently, but the most common symptom pattern
begins with gradual difficulty in remembering new information.
As damage spreads, individuals also experience confusion,
disorganized thinking, impaired judgment, and disorientation to
time, space, and location.
1.6 million California baby boomers can expect to develop some
form of dementia in their lifetime. 1.2 million will develop
Alzheimer's disease. While Alzheimer's disease in the overall
population will double in the next generation, the disease will
triple among Latinos/Hispanics and Asian Pacific Islanders.
About six of every 10 people living with Alzheimer's disease or
dementia will wander away from their caregivers at least once,
with only limited mental ability to explain their predicament to
strangers or find their way home. To help protect the
increasing number of individuals living with cognitive
impairments, several states, including Colorado, Florida,
Georgia, Indiana, Texas, and Virginia have adopted "Silver
Alert" programs. Silver Alert programs are modeled after the
Amber Alert system now present in all states. The Amber Alert
program can quickly distribute information about missing
children to law enforcement, radio, and television stations.
Additional states are considering similar measures.
The author states that California's senior population is growing
at a steady rate due to the "baby boomers" aging impact. We must
do everything we can to ensure the safety and protection of the
current and future senior population of our state, especially
those affected by dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Related Legislation
SB 38 (Alquist) calls for the development of a missing senior
person alert in California on or before January 1, 2011. SB 38
is currently pending in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on
the Suspense File.
SJR 4
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H.R. 632, the National Silver Alert Act of 2009, sponsored by
Representative Doggett, directs the Department of Justice to
establish a national communications network to assist efforts to
locate missing seniors and establishes a national coordinator
for the network to work with states to develop local Silver
Alert plans. H.R. 632 is currently awaiting action in the
Senate.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Aging Services of California
Advisory Council to the San Francisco Aging & Adult Services
Commission
California Alliance for Retired Americans
California Senior Legislature
Congress of California Seniors
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Allison Ruff / AGING & L.T.C. / (916)
319-3990