Texas could become a national leader in dementia research if this measure passes

When you think about memory loss, you might picture a loved one forgetting familiar faces or struggling to recall names that once came easy.

That’s the reality for more than 400,000 Texans living with dementia today, and experts expect that number to keep growing.

Many families across the state have been left to shoulder the emotional and financial weight of care, but this November, voters will decide whether Texas should take a bold step to change that.

A constitutional amendment that would create a new state research institute focused on dementia is on the ballot, known as Proposition 14.

Proposition 14 would direct billions in state funding toward research aimed at improving care and finding a cure.

Here’s what to know.

What would Proposition 14 do?

If Texans vote “yes” on Proposition 14 on Nov. 4, the state would create the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT).

The institute would fund research and programs that explore better ways to prevent, treat and understand diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other forms of dementia.

To get it started, the state would set aside $3 billion from its main budget to create a dementia research fund, with the option for lawmakers to add up to $300 million each year to continue the work.

The money would support hospitals, universities and medical researchers in Texas studying brain health and dementia prevention, according to the Texas Legislature’s joint resolution on the measure.

A nine-member oversight board would guide the institute’s direction. Three members each would be appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the Texas House.

At least one member of the board must be a doctor or scientist with dementia-related expertise, and the group would represent Texas’ diverse communities.

The board would decide which research projects receive funding and would make sure the process is based on science and transparency. The program would run through 2035, unless lawmakers choose to renew it.

What are people saying about Proposition 14?

Supporters from both political parties have called the measure a major step toward improving dementia care and research in Texas.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who helped lead the proposal, said he made it a priority after meeting families affected by the disease.

“Too many families in Texas know the ravages of dementia,” Patrick said in a statement. “With this investment, 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.”

Proponents, including the Alzheimer’s Association and several major hospital systems such as Baylor Scott & White Health and Houston Methodist, argue that establishing DPRIT would make Texas a national leader in brain research.

They often point to the success of a similar initiative, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), as proof that state investment can drive medical breakthroughs and job growth.

But not everyone agrees the model should be repeated. Conservative groups such as Texas Policy Research and Texas Right to Know have publicly opposed the amendment, calling it an unnecessary expansion of government spending.

“While dementia research is an important issue and affects a large number of Texans and their families, this legislation creates yet another bloated bureaucracy, mirroring the failed Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas,” Texas Policy Research said in a statement.

The group argued that Proposition 14 gives bureaucrats “unlimited spending power and little oversight,” warning that lawmakers are “doubling down on a proven formula for government waste and inefficiency.”

State Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Waxahachie, shared similar concerns, saying the $3 billion would be better spent outside government.

“What good could be done in the private sector with the $3 billion instead of the government taking it and handing it to bureaucrats?” Harrison told Community Impact. “This is corporate welfare on steroids.”

The amendment passed the Texas Legislature earlier this year with unanimous Democratic support and backing from nearly 80% of Republicans, according to legislative records.

Have Texans voted on any similar amendments before?

Yes. Texas voters approved a similar constitutional amendment in 2007 to create the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, the same model Proposition 14 is based on.

That earlier measure, known as Proposition 15, passed with about 61% of the vote and allowed the state to issue $3 billion in bonds to fund cancer research and prevention programs, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s election records.

In 2019, voters approved Proposition 6, which doubled CPRIT’s bond funding from $3 billion to $6 billion to continue its operations.

While CPRIT has funded thousands of cancer research projects, it also faced early criticism over transparency and spending, the same concerns some critics are raising now about the dementia research proposal.