[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 300 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 300
Designating June 15, 2025, as ``World Elder Abuse Awareness Day'' and
the month of June 2025 as ``Elder Abuse Awareness Month''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 24, 2025
Mr. Grassley (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal) submitted the following
resolution; which was considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Designating June 15, 2025, as ``World Elder Abuse Awareness Day'' and
the month of June 2025 as ``Elder Abuse Awareness Month''.
Whereas, in 2021, approximately 55,800,000 residents of the United States, or
about 1 in every 6 individuals, had attained the age of 65, and by 2060,
95,000,000 individuals in the United States, or about 1 in every 4
individuals, will be over the age of 65, according to estimates by the
Bureau of the Census;
Whereas, in 2034, it is anticipated that older adults will outnumber children
for the first time, according to the Bureau of the Census;
Whereas elder abuse remains a challenging problem and can come in many different
forms, often manifesting as physical, sexual, or psychological abuse,
financial exploitation, neglect, and social media abuse;
Whereas elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation have no boundaries and cross all
racial, social, class, gender, and geographic lines, according to the
Elder Justice Coalition;
Whereas about 1 in 10 adults over the age of 60 are subjected to abuse, neglect,
or financial exploitation each year, according to the National Institute
on Aging;
Whereas the annual loss by victims of financial abuse over the age of 60 is
estimated to be at least $28,300,000,000, according to the National
Council on Aging;
Whereas for older adults over the age of 60, the Department of Justice reported
the following scam-related financial losses for 2023--
(1) $1,200,000,000 from investment scams;
(2) $590,000,000 from tech support scams;
(3) $382,000,000 from business email compromise scams;
(4) $356,000,000 from romance scams; and
(5) $179,000,000 from government impersonation scams;
Whereas older adults reported losses of $4,885,000,000 related to internet scams
and fraud in 2024, and filed over 147,000 complaints related to internet
crimes, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
Whereas adults over the age of 60 are less likely than younger adults to report
losing money to fraud according to the Federal Trade Commission;
Whereas most reported cases of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults
take place within private homes, and approximately 90 percent of the
perpetrators in elder financial exploitation cases are family members or
other trusted individuals, according to the National Adult Protective
Services Association;
Whereas research suggests that elderly individuals in the United States who
experience cognitive impairment, physical disabilities, or isolation are
more likely to become the victims of abuse than those who do not
experience cognitive impairment, physical disabilities, or isolation;
Whereas other risk factors for elder abuse can include low social support, poor
physical health, and experience of previous traumatic events, according
to the National Center on Elder Abuse;
Whereas close to half of elderly individuals who suffer from dementia will
experience abuse during their lifetime, according to the Department of
Justice;
Whereas only 1 in 24 cases of elder abuse is reported, and only 1 in 44 cases of
elder financial exploitation is reported , according the New York State
Office of Children and Family Services;
Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the emergence of new scams against
older adults, including those related to vaccines;
Whereas more than 1 in 5 older persons reported elder abuse during the COVID-19
pandemic, an over 80 percent increase from previous years, according to
the National Institute of Health;
Whereas, during the last 5 years, Congress passed and the President signed 2
measures that make nearly $400,000,000 available for implementation of
the initiatives under the Elder Justice Act of 2009 (subtitle H of title
VI of Public Law 111-148; 124 Stat. 783), the largest funding stream
related to such initiatives in the history of the Act; and
Whereas Congress, in passing the Elder Justice Act of 2009 (subtitle H of title
VI of Public Law 111-148; 124 Stat. 783), the Older Americans Act of
1965 (42 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.), the Elder Abuse Prevention and
Prosecution Act (34 U.S.C. 21701 et seq.), the American Rescue Plan Act
of 2021 (Public Law 117-2; 135 Stat. 4), and the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260; 134 Stat. 1182),
recognized the importance of protecting older people of the United
States against abuse and exploitation: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates June 15, 2025, as ``World Elder Abuse
Awareness Day'' and the month of June 2025 as ``Elder Abuse
Awareness Month'';
(2) recognizes--
(A) judges, lawyers, adult protective services
professionals, law enforcement officers, social
workers, health care providers, advocates for victims,
and other professionals and agencies for their efforts
to advance awareness of elder abuse;
(B) the important work of the Elder Justice
Coordinating Council, which has continued through the
previous 3 Presidential administrations and involves 15
different Federal agencies;
(C) the essential work done by adult protective
services personnel, who regularly come to the
assistance of victims, investigate reports of abuse,
and actively prevent future victimization of older
people in the United States, especially during the
COVID-19 pandemic as the social isolation of elderly
individuals, due to stay-at-home orders, only increased
the risk of abuse and neglect; and
(D) the importance of supporting State long-term
care ombudsman programs, which help prevent elder abuse
and neglect in nursing homes and other long-term care
facilities, where infection prevention and control
deficiencies pose persistent challenges;
(3) applauds the work of the Elder Justice Coalition and
its members, whose efforts to increase public awareness of
elder abuse have the potential to increase the identification
and reporting of this crime by the public, professionals, and
victims, and can act as a catalyst to promote issue-based
education and long-term prevention; and
(4) encourages--
(A) members of the public and professionals who
work with older adults to act as catalysts to promote
awareness and long-term prevention of elder abuse--
(i) by reaching out to local adult
protective services agencies, State long-term
care ombudsman programs, and the National
Center on Elder Abuse; and
(ii) by learning to recognize, detect,
report, and respond to elder abuse;
(B) private individuals and public agencies in the
United States to continue work together at the Federal,
State, and local levels to combat abuse, neglect,
exploitation, crime, and violence against vulnerable
adults, including vulnerable older adults, particularly
in light of limited resources for vital protective
services; and
(C) those Federal agencies with responsibility for
preventing elder abuse to fully exercise such
responsibilities to protect older adults, whether such
older adults are living in the community or in long-
term care facilities.
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