Bill Text: IA SSB1170 | 2025-2026 | 91st General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to area agencies on aging, dementia service specialists, and a dementia services coordinator, and providing an appropriation.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-24 - Subcommittee Meeting: 02/26/2025 11:30AM Room 315. [SSB1170 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2025-SSB1170-Introduced.html
Senate
Study
Bill
1170
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
_____
BY
(PROPOSED
COMMITTEE
ON
HEALTH
AND
HUMAN
SERVICES
BILL
BY
CHAIRPERSON
KLIMESH)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
area
agencies
on
aging,
dementia
service
1
specialists,
and
a
dementia
services
coordinator,
and
2
providing
an
appropriation.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
TLSB
2238XC
(2)
91
lh/ko
S.F.
_____
Section
1.
NEW
SECTION
.
231.33A
Area
agencies
on
aging
——
1
dementia
service
specialists.
2
1.
Each
area
agency
on
aging
shall
provide
for
the
position
3
of
a
dementia
service
specialist
in
an
effort
to
increase
4
access
and
connections
to
local
supports
and
services
for
5
persons
living
with
dementia,
their
families,
and
caregivers,
6
and
to
increase
awareness
about
dementia
within
the
network
7
of
area
agency
on
aging
providers
as
well
as
in
counties,
8
communities,
and
businesses
throughout
the
state.
In
addition,
9
the
department
shall
provide
for
the
position
of
a
dementia
10
services
coordinator
to
provide
statewide
coordination
of
11
dementia
initiatives
and
dementia
service
specialists.
12
2.
The
duties
of
a
dementia
service
specialist
shall
include
13
but
are
not
limited
to
all
of
the
following:
14
a.
Supporting
people
living
with
dementia,
their
families,
15
and
caregivers
including
through
conducting
education
and
16
outreach
activities
to
increase
community
awareness
of
dementia
17
and
the
resources
available
to
support
individuals
with
18
dementia
and
their
caregivers.
19
b.
Providing
referrals
to
support
groups,
respite
care
20
providers,
research
opportunities,
and
other
community
21
resources.
22
c.
Conducting
community
cognitive
screenings,
and
training
23
area
agency
on
aging
staff
to
conduct
cognitive
screenings.
24
d.
Building
dementia-capable
area
agencies
on
aging
through
25
staff
trainings,
resources,
and
support.
26
e.
Promoting
dementia-capable
communities
by
serving
as
27
a
supporter
for
dementia-friendly
initiatives,
presenting
28
dementia-friendly
sessions
and
trainings
to
consumers
and
29
businesses,
and
serving
as
a
resource
for
dementia-friendly
30
community
action
teams.
31
f.
Providing
technical
assistance
for
internal
and
external
32
program
planning
to
enhance
relevance
and
improve
access
for
33
people
living
with
dementia
including
through
support
groups,
34
evidence-based
programs,
meal
sites,
and
home-delivered
meal
35
-1-
LSB
2238XC
(2)
91
lh/ko
1/
3
S.F.
_____
programs.
1
g.
Providing
training
and
technical
assistance
related
to
2
dementia,
and
how
to
work
effectively
with
a
person
who
has
3
dementia
in
a
crisis
situation,
to
first
responder
or
public
4
safety
agencies
including
law
enforcement,
emergency
medical
5
service
providers,
fire
and
rescue
teams,
adult
protective
6
services
workers,
and
crisis
response
workers
within
the
7
service
area.
8
3.
The
duties
of
a
dementia
services
coordinator
shall
9
include
but
are
not
limited
to
the
following:
10
a.
Coordinating
state-funded
and
privately
funded
dementia
11
services
within
the
state.
12
b.
Coordinating
the
dementia
service
specialist
program
13
within
the
area
agencies
on
aging.
14
c.
Coordinating
the
implementation
of
the
Alzheimer’s
15
disease
and
related
dementias
state
plan.
16
d.
Assessing
and
analyzing
dementia-related
data
collected
17
by
the
state.
18
e.
Evaluating
state-funded
dementia
services.
19
f.
Identifying
and
supporting
the
development
of
20
dementia-specific
trainings.
21
g.
Performing
other
duties
as
may
be
required
to
ensure
the
22
state
is
addressing
Alzheimer’s
and
related
dementias.
23
Sec.
2.
DEMENTIA
SERVICE
SPECIALISTS
——
DEMENTIA
SERVICES
24
COORDINATOR
——
APPROPRIATION.
There
is
appropriated
from
the
25
general
fund
of
the
state
to
the
department
of
health
and
human
26
services
for
the
fiscal
year
beginning
July
1,
2025,
and
ending
27
June
30,
2026,
the
following
amount,
or
so
much
thereof
as
is
28
necessary,
to
be
used
for
the
purposes
designated:
29
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
$
750,000
30
The
funds
appropriated
in
this
section
shall
be
used
by
the
31
area
agencies
on
aging
to
provide
a
dementia
service
specialist
32
in
each
of
the
area
agencies
on
aging
and
to
provide
for
a
33
dementia
services
coordinator
within
the
department
of
health
34
and
human
services
as
provided
in
section
231.33A,
as
enacted
35
-2-
LSB
2238XC
(2)
91
lh/ko
2/
3
S.F.
_____
in
this
Act.
1
EXPLANATION
2
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
3
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
4
This
bill
relates
to
area
agencies
on
aging,
dementia
5
service
specialists,
and
a
dementia
services
coordinator.
6
The
bill
requires
each
area
agency
on
aging
to
provide
for
7
the
position
of
a
dementia
service
specialist
(specialist)
8
to
increase
access
and
connections
to
local
supports
and
9
services
for
persons
living
with
dementia,
their
families,
10
and
caregivers,
and
to
increase
awareness
about
dementia
11
within
the
network
of
area
agency
on
aging
providers
and
in
12
communities
and
businesses
throughout
the
state.
The
bill
also
13
requires
the
department
of
health
and
human
services
(HHS)
to
14
provide
for
the
position
of
a
dementia
services
coordinator
15
(coordinator)
to
provide
statewide
coordination
of
dementia
16
initiatives
and
specialists.
17
The
bill
provides
that,
at
a
minimum,
the
duties
of
18
a
specialist
shall
include
providing
support,
providing
19
referrals,
conducting
cognitive
screenings,
building
20
dementia-capable
area
agencies
on
aging,
promoting
21
dementia-capable
communities,
and
providing
technical
22
assistance
as
detailed
in
the
bill.
23
The
bill
provides
the
duties
of
a
coordinator
shall
24
include
coordinating
dementia
services
throughout
the
25
state,
coordinating
the
specialist
program,
coordinating
26
the
Alzheimer’s
disease
and
related
dementias
state
plan,
27
evaluating
state
dementia
services,
identifying
trainings,
and
28
performing
other
duties
as
may
be
required.
29
The
bill
appropriates
$750,000
from
the
general
fund
of
the
30
state
to
HHS
for
FY
2025-2026
to
be
used
by
the
area
agencies
on
31
aging
to
provide
a
specialist
in
each
of
the
area
agencies
on
32
aging
and
to
provide
for
a
coordinator
within
HHS.
33
-3-
LSB
2238XC
(2)
91
lh/ko
3/
3
