HHS Seeks Public Input on Alzheimer's Plan Through 2035; FAA Advances Airspace Amendments

HHS Seeks Public Comment to Update National Alzheimer's Plan Through 2035

The Department of Health and Human Services has issued a Request for Information to inform a comprehensive update to the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease, which HHS states will guide federal efforts through 2035. Comments must be received by August 15, 2026.

The National Plan traces its origin to the National Alzheimer's Project Act (NAPA), signed into law on January 4, 2011, which the document describes as a congressional response to "the growing impact of AD/ADRD on the American public." NAPA requires the Secretary of HHS to create and maintain a coordinated national strategy to address Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD), covering research, care and services, and public awareness. HHS released the first National Plan in 2012 and has updated it annually since. Congress extended the federal commitment through the NAPA Reauthorization Act (Public Law 118-92), enacted on October 1, 2024.

According to the notice, HHS will undertake the comprehensive update in 2026, with a focus on research and development of new interventions to prevent and treat dementia, risk reduction strategies, early detection and diagnostic tools and pathways to treatment, and enhanced long-term services and supports for people living with AD/ADRD and their caregivers and care partners. The RFI specifically asks about opportunities and challenges in advancing research and translating scientific progress into scalable treatments; improving risk reduction and promoting brain health across the lifespan; barriers affecting early detection and timely diagnosis; and significant gaps in dementia care, services, and supports, including caregiver well-being.

HHS is seeking input from individuals living with AD/ADRD, caregivers, researchers, clinicians, service providers, advocates, faith- and community-based organizations, state, Tribal, and local officials, policymakers, and other interested stakeholders. The department also seeks input on gaps, emerging priorities, and opportunities to strengthen coordination across federal, state, Tribal, local, private sector, and community partners. The notice states that respondents are encouraged to include supporting facts, research, and evidence in their comments, and that each responding entity is requested to submit only one response. HHS advises that the RFI "should not be construed as a policy, solicitation for applications, or as an obligation on the part of the government to provide support for any ideas in response to it," and that responses may be reflected in future solicitations or policies.

FAA Proposes Class E Airspace at Ottawa, IL Heliport

The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed to establish Class E airspace at OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center Heliport in Ottawa, Illinois, to support new instrument procedures and instrument flight rule (IFR) operations at the site. Comments on the proposed rulemaking must be received on or before September 8, 2026.

The FAA states the proposal would establish Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface within a 6.8-mile radius of OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center Heliport, Ottawa, IL. The action, the notice explains, is the result of instrument procedures being developed for this airport to support IFR operations. The proposal would amend 14 CFR part 71 and would update FAA Order JO 7400.11K, dated August 4, 2025, and effective September 15, 2025, with changes to be published in the next update to FAA Order JO 7400.11. The FAA has determined the proposed regulation is not a "significant regulatory action" under Executive Order 12866 and is expected to result in, at most, de minimis costs from compliance with applicable operating requirements or minor flight rerouting.

FAA Finalizes Airspace Corrections Over Westfield, MA

In a separate final rule, the FAA has amended Class D and Class E airspace over Westfield, Massachusetts, with an effective date of 0901 UTC, October 29, 2026. The rule updates the airport name in both the Class D and Class E airspace legal descriptions from "Westfield, Barnes Municipal Airport" to "Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport," and corrects the airport's geographic coordinates from latitude 42°09'28'' N, longitude 72°42'56'' W to latitude 42°09'29'' N, longitude 72°42'57'' W — a change of one second of latitude and one second of longitude.

The rule additionally replaces the term "Airport/Facility Directory" with "Chart Supplement" in the Class D airspace legal description to comply with current FAA guidance, and removes exclusions for the adjacent Class E airspace areas of Northampton, MA, Palmer, MA, and Windsor Locks, CT from the Westfield, MA Class E5 airspace legal description, also to comply with current FAA guidance. The FAA published an NPRM for this action in the Federal Register on May 14, 2026 (91 FR 27223), and received one comment in support of the proposal, with the commenter citing practicality and perceived increases in both safety and efficiency.

What to Watch

• August 15, 2026 — Deadline for public comments to HHS on the update to the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease.
• September 8, 2026 — Deadline for comments on the FAA's proposed establishment of Class E airspace at OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center Heliport, Ottawa, IL.
• October 29, 2026 (0901 UTC) — Effective date of the FAA's final rule amending Class D and Class E airspace over Westfield, MA.

Related

• Build hub
• FAA Issues Final Airworthiness Directive for Boeing 757 and 767 Over 5G C-Band Radio Altimeter Interference in Canadian Airspace
• FERC Advances Four Energy Infrastructure Proceedings; FAA Issues Immediate Boeing 737 Airworthiness Fix
• FERC Discloses Exempt Off-the-Record Communication in Docket ER26-2389-000