Dementia prevention institute legislation heads to governor's desk
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — A top priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT), will now head to the governor’s desk after the Texas Senate approved minor changes to the legislation on Monday.
Texas voters will have to approve the creation of DPRIT on the Texas ballot in November. If approved by Texans, the institute would receive $3 billion from the general revenue fund over the next 10 years to help accelerate research into Dementia and finding cures.
“Texas will become the premier destination for Dementia prevention and research and Texans will have access to the best Dementia care in the world, right here at home. I am proud of the legislature’s investment into this endeavor, and I know Texas families will benefit for generations to come,” Patrick said in a statement.
DPRIT is modeled after the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas approved by voters in 2007 with $3 billion in funding. Voters approved another $3 billion in funding for CPRIT in 2019.
The National Institutes of Health reported in 2024 that Alzheimer’s and related dementia research has advanced in recent years but stressed more needs to be funded to keep finding new answers to a cure and prevention.
“This progress helps move us closer to developing effective prevention and treatment options that benefit all Americans,” the NIH report reads.
