Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110

§247a Family Support Groups for Alzheimer’s Disease Patients

Title 42 › CHAPTER 6A — PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › SUBCHAPTER II — GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES › Part B — Federal-State Cooperation › § 247a

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

If money is available, the Secretary, working with the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institutes of Health, and the Administration on Aging, must help start free family support groups. These groups must give education, emotional support, and practical help to people with Alzheimer’s or similar memory disorders and to their family members. The Secretary must give priority to university medical centers and other federally funded health care sites that do Alzheimer’s research or care, and to community programs that get federal funds through the Administration on Aging. The Secretary must also help set up a national network to link and coordinate these support groups.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §247a

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Establishment; priorities
Subject to available appropriations, the Secretary, acting through the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institutes of Health, and the Administration on Aging, shall promote the establishment of family support groups to provide, without charge, educational, emotional, and practical support to assist individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or a related memory disorder and members of the families of such individuals. In promoting the establishment of such groups, the Secretary shall give priority to—
(1)university medical centers and other appropriate health care facilities which receive Federal funds from the Secretary and which conduct research on Alzheimer’s disease or provide services to individuals with such disease; and
(2)community-based programs which receive funds from the Secretary, acting through the Administration on Aging.
(b)National network to coordinate groups
The Secretary shall promote the establishment of a national network to coordinate the family support groups described in subsection (a).

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 247a, act
July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, § 316, as added Nov. 10, 1978, Pub. L. 95–626, title II, § 208(a), 92 Stat. 3586; amended Aug. 13, 1981, Pub. L. 97–35, title XXI, § 2193(a)(1)(A), 95 Stat. 826, related to lead-based paint poisoning prevention programs, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 97–35, title XXI, § 2193(b)(1), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 827. Another prior section 247a, act
July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, § 316, as added Oct. 30, 1970, Pub. L. 91–515, title II, § 281, 84 Stat. 1307, provided for establishment, composition, qualifications of members, terms of office, vacancies, reappointment, compensation, travel expenses, and functions of National Advisory Council on Comprehensive Health Planning Programs, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 93–641, § 5(d), Jan. 4, 1975, 88 Stat. 2275.

Amendments

1993—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 103–43 struck out subsec. (c) which read as follows: “The Secretary shall report to Congress, not later than one year after May 23, 1986, on family support groups and the network of such groups established pursuant to this section.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 247a

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110