Alzheimer’s Law Enforcement Education Act of 2025
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Alzheimer's Law Enforcement Education Act directs the COPS Office Director to establish an online training course within one year, in consultation with HHS and the CMS Administrator. The course must cover how to interact with people with Alzheimer's disease or similar dementia, recognize behavioral symptoms and characteristics, communicate effectively, use alternatives to physical restraints, and identify signs of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. The Director must recommend that applicable state departments and agencies count participation toward required instruction hours for continued employment or appointment as a law enforcement officer, correctional officer, or correctional probation officer.
Who Benefits and How
People with Alzheimer's disease benefit because officers can receive training on communication, symptoms, restraint alternatives, and signs of abuse or exploitation. Family caregivers benefit if law enforcement responses are better informed and less likely to escalate dementia-related encounters. Law enforcement officers benefit from an online training course that can count toward required instruction hours if states adopt the recommendation. Correctional officers and probation officers benefit from dementia-specific training relevant to custody and supervision settings.
Who Bears the Burden and How
COPS Office training staff must create and host the course within one year. HHS and CMS staff must consult on dementia content for law enforcement settings. State officer training agencies must decide whether to count the course toward required instruction hours. Police departments and corrections agencies may need to schedule personnel for the online course.
Key Provisions
- Requires an online COPS Office dementia training course within one year.
- Directs course content on interaction, symptom recognition, communication, restraint alternatives, and abuse or exploitation signs.
- Requires consultation with HHS and CMS.
- Directs DOJ to recommend state credit toward required instruction hours for law enforcement, correctional, and probation officers.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Requires the DOJ COPS Office, in consultation with HHS and CMS, to create an online training course within one year for law enforcement, corrections, and probation officers on interacting with people with Alzheimer’s disease and similar dementias.
Key Policy Areas
Law Enforcement, Aging, Dementia
Primary Purpose
Requires the DOJ COPS Office, in consultation with HHS and CMS, to create an online training course within one year for law enforcement, corrections, and probation officers on interacting with people with Alzheimer’s disease and similar dementias.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- People with Alzheimer's disease
- Family caregivers
- Law enforcement officers
- Correctional officers
Identified Costs
- COPS Office training staff
- HHS dementia staff
- CMS staff
- State officer training agencies
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Buchanan (for himself and Ms. Barragán) introduced the following …
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
COPS Office training staff, State officer training agencies
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology