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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive and |
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irreversible brain disorder characterized by a steady decline in |
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cognitive, behavioral, and physical abilities severe enough to |
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interfere with daily life; and |
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WHEREAS, Disease progression and physical manifestations |
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include loss of strength and balance, the inability to perform |
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simple tasks and physical activities, and incontinence; as more of |
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the brain is affected, areas that control basic life functions like |
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swallowing and breathing become irreversibly damaged, leading to |
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death; and |
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WHEREAS, AD is the seventh leading cause of death in the |
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United States and has an economic burden that exceeds $182 billion |
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annually; 5.4 million people in the United States have AD, |
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including approximately 340,000 Texans; Texas ranks third in the |
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number of AD cases and second in the number of AD deaths; a new |
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person develops AD every 69 seconds, and current projections |
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indicate that this rate will increase to one new case every 33 |
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seconds by 2050; and |
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WHEREAS, Other causes of death have been declining in recent |
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years, but those due to AD have risen; between 2000 and 2006, deaths |
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from heart disease, stroke, and prostate cancer declined by 12 |
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percent, 18 percent, and 14 percent, respectively, while deaths |
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attributable to AD increased by 47 percent; by 2050, AD is expected |
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to strike nearly a million additional persons per year in the United |
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States and affect an estimated 11 to 16 million Americans; and |
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WHEREAS, Individuals providing care for AD patients in Texas |
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grew from 690,058 to 852,820 between 2005 and 2009, with most of |
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these being unpaid family members; the estimated total value of |
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this unpaid care in Texas increased from $5.8 billion in 2005 to |
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$11.2 billion in 2009, the second highest in the nation; Texas |
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businesses are also impacted by AD, losing over $14 billion |
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annually in health care costs and lost productivity; and |
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WHEREAS, There is a great need for Texas to develop |
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infrastructure and capability commensurate with the state's |
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increasing burden imposed by AD; in 2005, recognizing Texas' AD |
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challenge, the legislature began making investments in AD research, |
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and at the close of the 2009-2011 biennium, nearly $12.5 million |
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will have been put toward this cause; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby request the lieutenant governor and the speaker |
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of the house of representatives to create a joint interim committee |
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to study the overall economic and systemic impact of Alzheimer's |
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disease through 2017, including an inventory of public and private |
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infrastructure and capacity for addressing the challenges of AD; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the study identify funds and systems to |
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support and expand ongoing statewide disease-specific strategic |
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planning through the Texas Department of State Health Services and |
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also identify funds and systems available to support and expand |
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activities of the Texas Alzheimer's Research Consortium; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be |
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governed by such general rules and policies for joint interim |
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committees as the 82nd Legislature may adopt. |