Accelerating Access to Dementia and Alzheimer's Provider Training Act

Text in the Record

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3747) to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Project ECHO Grant Program, to establish grants under such program to disseminate knowledge and build capacity to address Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, and for other purposes, as amended.

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The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 3747

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Accelerating Access to Dementia and Alzheimer's Provider Training Act'' or the ``AADAPT Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPANDING CAPACITY FOR HEALTH OUTCOMES.

(a) In General.--Section 330N of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c-20) is amended-- (1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``entities'' and inserting ``entities, including a public or nonprofit private entity,''; and (2) in subsection (b), by inserting ``dementia care,'' after ``palliative care,''. (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 330N(k) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c-20(k)) is amended by striking ``fiscal years 2022 through 2026'' and inserting ``fiscal years 2027 through 2031''.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.

general leave

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to include extraneous material on H.R. 3747. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Kentucky? There was no objection. Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3747, led by my colleagues Representatives Balderson and Barragan, which would reauthorize the technology-enabled collaborative learning program. The technology-enabled collaborative learning program health education model connects healthcare professionals through interactive videoconferencing, which helps meet people where they are by promoting access to specialty care for people who otherwise may not be able to access it because of where they live. This is a valuable tool for clinicians to both continue learning and improve existing knowledge of best practices to support and care for patients in their communities. This is particularly effective for patients in rural communities, and I represent many. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support this legislation. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3747, the AADAPT Act. This bill reauthorizes Project ECHO, or the Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes grant program at the Health Resources and Services Administration. This program uses videoconferencing technology to train, advise, and support clinicians to improve access to specialty treatment in rural and underserved areas. By connecting primary care providers in rural areas with specialists in academic medical centers or other specialized settings, these providers receive the support they need to manage complex patient conditions, and rural patients are more likely to receive the care that they need closer to home. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 3747, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Balderson), my good friend and very important member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Mr. BALDERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3747, the AADAPT Act. Alzheimer's disease is one of the most significant public health challenges facing our country today. More than 7 million Americans, including over 236,000 Ohioans, are living with this devastating disease, and those numbers continue to grow. The sooner we can identify Alzheimer's and other dementias, the sooner patients and families can begin treatment, plan for the future, and access the care and support they need. For many families, especially in rural and underserved communities, a primary care provider is the first, and often only, healthcare professional they see when memory loss or cognitive decline begins. The AADAPT Act strengthens and reauthorizes the Project ECHO program, giving those providers access to specialized training and mentoring so they can recognize the signs of a potential condition and deliver better care earlier and closer to home. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, which is a practical, bipartisan solution that strengthens our healthcare workforce and improves access to quality care for patients and families. Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Tonko), who is the ranking member of our Environment Subcommittee. Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the AADAPT Act, legislation I am proud to be co-leading along with my good friends and colleagues Representatives Troy Balderson, Nanette Barragan, and Darin LaHood. Alzheimer's is a devastating disease that impacts nearly 427,000 individuals in New York State alone. I would imagine that everyone in this room has been impacted in some form by Alzheimer's at some point. It is, first and foremost, a human crisis, but it is also a Federal budget crisis. That is why I have been proud to be a champion of Alzheimer's-related issues during my time in Congress and why I feel so strongly about advancing the AADAPT Act today. The AADAPT Act represents an investment in our provider workforce as we enter a new era of dementia care, with emerging tools like blood- based biomarker tests making earlier, more accessible diagnosis possible and increasingly shifting diagnosis into primary care. This legislation is designed to close the gaps in dementia training by ensuring providers are prepared to responsibly adopt and apply these innovations in everyday practice. One proven way to address this issue is with the Project ECHO training model. In my district, in the capital regional of New York, health systems like St. Peter's Health Partners in Albany County are already using the ECHO model and working to improve dementia care. Mr. Speaker, I am indeed proud to have worked on the AADAPT Act and urge all of my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation that addresses advancements in this field of dementia care. Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

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