A resolution designating June 15, 2026, as "World Elder Abuse Awareness Day" and the month of June 2026 as "Elder Abuse Awareness Month".

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 809 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 809

 Designating June 15, 2026, as ``World Elder Abuse Awareness Day'' and
       the month of June 2026 as ``Elder Abuse Awareness Month''.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 21, 2026

 Mr. Grassley (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal) submitted the following
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 Designating June 15, 2026, as ``World Elder Abuse Awareness Day'' and
       the month of June 2026 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 2024--

    (1) $1,834,242,515 from investment scams;

    (2) $982,440,006 from tech support scams;

    (3) $385,001,099 from business email compromise scams;

    (4) $389,312,356 from confidence and romance scams; and

    (5) $208,096,366 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, 2026, as ``World Elder Abuse
        Awareness Day'' and the month of June 2026 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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