This article originally appeared in the 2025 Impact Report. Become a member today to get access to additional exclusive content, meetings and insights into the Alzheimer's and dementia public policy community.

2024 was a pivotal year in the fight against Alzheimer’s and other dementia, with AIM advancing bipartisan legislation to renew our nation’s commitment to the cause for years to come.  Throughout the 118th Congress, AIM led efforts to grow support on both sides of the aisle for policies to improve the lives of people impacted by Alzheimer’s and other dementia. Leadership Society members, Alzheimer’s Ambassadors and advocates called congressional offices, posted on social media, and met with their members of Congress to move forward in the fight against Alzheimer’s. 

“Over the last decade, thanks to our dedicated advocates and Leadership Society members, Congress has taken action to make historic investments in Alzheimer’s research, expand the dementia public health infrastructure and improve access to quality care and support. AIM is working with bipartisan congressional champions to change the trajectory of this devastating disease until we one day achieve our vision of a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia,” said Rachel Conant, Alzheimer’s Association senior vice president of public policy and AIM executive director.

Renewing the National Commitment to Address the Alzheimer’s Crisis

In October 2024, two pieces of critical bipartisan legislation that renewed the nation’s commitment to the fight against Alzheimer’s and other dementia were signed into law: the NAPA Reauthorization Act (P.L. 118-92) and the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act (P.L. 118-93). These bipartisan bills, which passed the House and Senate unanimously, will continue the critical work of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease to support Alzheimer’s research and improve the delivery of clinical care and services for people impacted by Alzheimer’s.

“Since the passage of the original NAPA and Alzheimer's Accountability Act, we’ve made great progress. We now have multiple Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved Alzheimer’s treatments, better understanding of risk factors and prevention, and improved dementia care and support. And we are closer than ever to biomarker tests for Alzheimer’s, which will improve access to earlier and more accessible diagnosis,” said Conant. “With these two reauthorizations, we hope to see additional breakthroughs over the next decade that improve the lives of people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia and their families.”

Strengthening the Dementia Public Health Infrastructure

Since the original Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act (P.L. 115-406) passed in 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has empowered state, local, and tribal public health departments to implement effective dementia interventions in their communities, such as reducing risk, increasing early detection and diagnosis, and supporting the needs of caregivers. To continue this critical public health work, AIM worked to pass the bipartisan BOLD Reauthorization Act. 

Thanks to our hardworking advocates, AIM Leadership Society members, and bipartisan congressional champions, the BOLD Reauthorization Act quickly reached 80 cosponsors in the House and 35 in the Senate, building momentum and key support for this bipartisan legislation. The BOLD Reauthorization Act advanced swiftly through House and Senate committees, with Joanne Pike, DrPH, Alzheimer’s Association president and CEO and AIM CEO, testifying before Congress on the importance of reauthorizing these key Alzheimer’s policy priorities. The BOLD Reauthorization Act passed the House unanimously in September and the Senate in November, and was signed into law in December.

Investing in Alzheimer’s Research and the Public Health Infrastructure

In March 2024, Congress passed a $100 million increase for Alzheimer’s and dementia research funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for fiscal year 2024 (FY24). The bill also included $34 million to fund and continue to implement BOLD. Throughout the FY24 appropriations process, AIM advocated for a research funding increase and BOLD funding.

“Because of this additional $100 million in Alzheimer’s research funding, scientists will be able to drive innovation and accelerate improvements in care, treatment, and prevention for Alzheimer’s and all other dementia,” said Robert Egge, Alzheimer’s Association chief public policy officer and AIM president. “Thank you to our dedicated advocates, Leadership Society members and bipartisan congressional champions for their support and commitment to the Alzheimer’s community.”

Preparing the Dementia Workforce

AIM is working with bipartisan congressional champions to advance the bipartisan Accelerating Access to Dementia & Alzheimer’s Provider Training (AADAPT) Act (H.R. 7688 / S. 4276), which would empower primary care providers to better understand and diagnose Alzheimer’s and other dementia while emphasizing high-quality, person-centered care in community-based settings. 

Through the use of Project ECHO, the AADAPT Act would provide virtual Alzheimer’s and dementia education and training to more primary care providers to help them better detect, diagnose, care, and treat Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The bipartisan bill would expand the current ECHO program by providing grants specifically for Alzheimer’s and dementia to address the knowledge gaps and workforce capacity issues primary care providers face. First introduced in 2024, this bipartisan legislation will not only improve access to early diagnosis and quality dementia care, but it will also reduce geographic barriers and the cost of care.