Committee backs bill to establish Alzheimer's research center in Hawaii after personal testimony

The committee advanced SB 2657 SD1 to establish an Alzheimer's disease and related dementias research center of Hawaii, requiring affiliation with a school of medicine and other items specified in the bill. Supporters said the center would allow in'state clinical trials, culturally relevant research and improved care coordination.

Hayden Cobb, who said he lost a parent to Alzheimer's disease, urged the committee to act, citing demographic projections and the rising number of older adults who will live with the disease in the islands. "By 2050, there's going to be approximately 61,200 people that are 65 and older that will be living with the disease in all the Hawaii islands," Cobb said.

Peter Westin Black, a retired professor participating by Zoom, and Barbara, a caregiver who testified in person, described the benefits of a local research hub that could recruit for clinical trials without patients having to travel to the U.S. mainland. Kobi Chok of the Alzheimer's Association asked the committee to include language noting the center's statewide importance, an item the attorney general had recommended in prior review.

The committee adopted the chair'recommended HD1 amendments (removing FTEs and defecting the effective date) and advanced the bill out of committee.