Senators Markey, Capito, Collins, Van Hollen Introduce Bill to Support Alzheimer’s Research

Bill Text (PDF)

Washington (July 24, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, along with Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), introduced legislation to reauthorize the United States Postal Service (USPS) Alzheimer's research stamp for an additional six years, allowing more funds to be raised for Alzheimer's research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Semipostal stamps are sold by the U.S. Postal Service and are priced above the cost of postage to raise funds for causes of public interest, as directed by Congress. The U.S. Postal Service first issued the Alzheimer's semipostal stamp in 2017 and has since sold over 11 million stamps in support of Alzheimer's research.

"My mother fought Alzheimer's for thirteen years. My family's story mirrors that of millions of Americans awaiting better treatments and a cure for this terrible disease," said Senator Markey. "I am proud to lead the reauthorization of the Alzheimer's semipostal stamp, which has raised almost $2 million for Alzheimer's research. Every letter sent with an Alzheimer's stamp offers hope to families, and gets us one step closer to a cure."

"Reauthorizing the Alzheimer's semipostal stamp will both maintain a source of funding for critically important Alzheimer's research and will also help honor the memory and courage of those who have faced this heartbreaking disease directly. I have long been dedicated to pursuing a cure for Alzheimer's disease, and I'm proud to join my colleagues to continue this initiative through the USPS," said Senator Capito.

"Alzheimer's is one of the greatest public health challenges of our time, affecting more than seven million Americans, including more than 29,000 people in Maine," said Senator Collins. "As a founder of the Alzheimer's Task Force and Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I recently secured a $100 million increase for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias research, bringing total annual funding to nearly $4 billion. By allowing Americans to continue to purchase Alzheimer's research stamps, this bipartisan legislation would build on that funding and support NIH's efforts to combat this devastating disease."

"Countless families in Maryland and across our country are facing the pain and loss that Alzheimer's leaves in its wake. I've fought to increase investments in critical research on this disease, and the Alzheimer's semipostal stamp is a key step towards building on those efforts. That's why I worked to create this stamp, and why it's important we pass this bipartisan bill to keep it in circulation for years to come as we continue our fight to defeat Alzheimer's once and for all," said Senator Van Hollen.

The Alzheimer's semipostal stamp reauthorization is cosponsored by Senators Mark Warner (D-Va.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jim Justice (R-W.V.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.).

The legislation is endorsed by Alzheimer's Foundation of America, Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's Impact Movement, and Gerontological Society of America.

"The Alzheimer's Foundation of America wholeheartedly supports the Alzheimer's Semipostal Stamp Reauthorization Act and is grateful to Senator Markey, Senator Collins, Senator Van Hollen, and Senator Capito for introducing it," said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., President and CEO of the Alzheimer's Foundation of America. "Since its inception, the sale of over 11 million Alzheimer's semipostal stamps raised crucial funds for Alzheimer's disease research and heightened public awareness about a disease impacting more than 7 million Americans."

"The Alzheimer's Semipostal Stamp Reauthorization Act preserves a simple but powerful way for Americans to fund the search for treatments and, ultimately, a cure, while raising awareness of the disease with every letter sent. Every family living with Alzheimer's knows what this disease takes - not just from the person diagnosed, but from everyone who loves them - and continued research funding is how we give future generations a different outcome than the one families face today," said Robert Egge, Alzheimer's Association Chief Public Policy Officer and AIM President. "We're grateful to Senator Markey, Senator Collins, Senator Van Hollen, and Senator Capito for their bipartisan leadership on this bill and their continued commitment to the Alzheimer's and dementia community."

Senator Markey, as founder and co-Chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease, is a leader in the fight to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease and to support family caregivers.

• On July 15, Senator Markey applauded the Senate's unanimous passage of the Older Americans Act (OAA) Reauthorization Act, which included provisions from the Senator's "Caring for Caregivers" agenda including expanding respite care options for family caregivers to older adults who need long-term care. The OAA reauthorization also included provisions from Senator Markey's Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act which requires federal agencies to help family caregivers access government support by improving processes, procedures, forms, and communications.
• In April 2026, Senator Markey introduced a package of legislation during Earth Week, including bills to protect seniors by enabling safer and more resilient homes.
• In 2025, Senator Markey reintroduced his "Caring for Caregivers" legislative agenda of six bills to support family caregivers' economic, physical, and emotional health through financial literacy resources, expansion of peer support services and respite care, and access to medically tailored meals.
• In 2024, Senator Markey was a lead of the NAPA Reauthorization Act and theAlzheimer's Accountability and Investment Act(AAIA), which were both signed into law. In the House of Representatives, Markey co-authored the National Alzheimer's Project Act (NAPA), which mandated the development of a first-ever comprehensive National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease. The plan represented a historic commitment by the federal government to tackling the disease.

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