Bill > SB1777

This bill, titled the "Caring for Caregivers Act," establishes a pilot program to provide financial relief to individuals caring for family members with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia. The program defines "activities of daily living" (ADLs) as basic self-care tasks like ambulating, feeding, dressing, personal hygiene, continence, and toileting, and "eligible expenditures" as uncompensated costs directly related to care, such as home modifications, necessary equipment and medical supplies, and respite care (temporary relief for caregivers). An "eligible family member" is someone requiring assistance with at least two ADLs, diagnosed with or showing symptoms of dementia, and living at home, not in a facility. A "family caregiver" is an individual providing this care who has incurred eligible expenditures and meets certain income limitations, with priority given to "very low income households" and "low income households." The program will operate from July 1, 2026, to December 31, 2027, with grants capped at $6,000 per caregiver annually, funded through appropriations and donations to a dedicated "family caregiver grant fund." The bill also outlines provisions for adjusting income limits, rule-making, and reporting on the program's status and finances, with a non-recurring appropriation of $200,000 intended for the first fiscal year of the program.