HARRISBURG, PA — The PA House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee has approved a bill to create a permanent Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Office.

The law would also establish a 28-member advisory committee within the PA Department of Aging to coordinate state agencies, advocate policy, and better respond to the needs of those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

House Bill 2400’s sponsor, Maureen Madden, said it seeks to address the growing public health crisis posed by Alzheimer’s, which affects more than 282,000 Pennsylvanians aged 65 and older and resulting in $3.7 billion in Medicaid costs. By 2025, she said, the number of Pennsylvanians living with Alzheimer’s is expected to increase to 320,000, with corresponding Medicaid costs surging by over 10 percent.

Secretary Jason Kavulich of the PA Department of Aging expressed the Shapiro administration’s full support for the bill. The next step for the bill is consideration by the full state House of Representatives.