[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 30 (Wednesday, March 2, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1144-S1145]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KOHL (for himself, Mr. Casey, Mr. Blumenthal, and Mr. 
        Brown of Ohio):
  S. 464. A bill to establish a grant program to enhance training and 
services to prevent abuse in later life; to the Committee on the 
Judiciary.
  Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, I rise today with Senators Blumenthal, 
Sherrod Brown, and Casey to introduce the End Abuse in Later Life Act 
of 2011. This legislation improves the provisions in the existing 
Violence Against Women Act dealing with abuse in later life by 
enhancing direct services for victims and increasing the kinds of 
experts who participate in multidisciplinary training programs.
  Abuse in later life is a sad and growing problem in our society. 
Experts conservatively estimate that 14.1 percent of older Americans 
have been injured, exploited, or otherwise mistreated by someone on 
whom they depend for care or protection each year. This type of abuse 
is especially disturbing because the victims are often physically 
frail, defenseless, and very frightened.
  It is time that we take action on the Federal level to protect older 
Americans who fall victim to physical, financial, sexual and emotional 
abuse. We can do this by training law enforcement, prosecutors, 
governmental agencies, victim advocates, and relevant court officers to 
recognize and address instances of abuse in later life. This 
legislation also encourages cross-training of these groups and 
multidisciplinary collaborative community efforts in order to better 
serve victims.
  By passing this legislation, we will ensure that abuse later in life 
is given the serious consideration it deserves and make great strides 
to protect one of the most vulnerable populations in America. I urge my 
colleagues to support this important legislation.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 464

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``End Abuse in Later Life Act 
     of 2011''.

     SEC. 2. ENHANCED TRAINING AND SERVICES TO END ABUSE IN LATER 
                   LIFE.

       (a) In General.--Subtitle H of the Violence Against Women 
     Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14041 et seq.) is amended to read as 
     follows:

``Subtitle H--Enhanced Training and Services to End Abuse Later in Life

     ``SEC. 40801. ENHANCED TRAINING AND SERVICES TO END ABUSE IN 
                   LATER LIFE.

       ``(a) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are to--
       ``(1) provide training, consultation, and information on 
     abuse in later life, including domestic violence, dating 
     violence, sexual assault, stalking, exploitation, and 
     neglect;
       ``(2) create or enhance direct services to victims of abuse 
     in later life, including domestic violence, dating violence, 
     sexual assault, stalking, exploitation, and neglect; and
       ``(3) create or support coordinated community response to 
     abuse in later life, including domestic violence, dating 
     violence, sexual assault, stalking, exploitation, and 
     neglect.
       ``(b) Definitions.--In this section--
       ``(1) the term `exploitation' has the meaning given the 
     term in the section 2011 of the Social Security Act (42 
     U.S.C. 1397j);
       ``(2) the term `later life', relating to an individual, 
     means the individual is 50 years of age or older; and
       ``(3) the term `neglect' means the failure of a caregiver 
     or fiduciary to provide the goods or services that are 
     necessary to maintain the health or safety of an individual 
     in later life.
       ``(c) Grant Program.--
       ``(1) Grants authorized.--The Attorney General, through the 
     Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, may make 
     grants to eligible entities to carry out the activities 
     described in paragraph (2).
       ``(2) Mandatory and permissible activities.--
       ``(A) Mandatory activities.--An eligible entity receiving a 
     grant under this section shall use the funds received under 
     the grant to--
       ``(i) provide training programs to assist law enforcement 
     agencies, prosecutors, agencies of States or units of local 
     government, population-specific organizations, victims 
     service providers, victim advocates, and relevant officers in 
     Federal, Tribal, State, Territorial, and local courts in 
     recognizing and addressing instances of abuse in later life, 
     including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, 
     stalking, exploitation, and neglect;
       ``(ii) provide or enhance services for victims of abuse in 
     later life, including domestic violence, dating violence, 
     sexual assault, stalking, exploitation, and neglect;
       ``(iii) establish or support multidisciplinary 
     collaborative community responses to victims of abuse in 
     later life, including domestic violence, dating violence, 
     sexual assault, stalking, exploitation, and neglect; and
       ``(iv) conduct cross-training for law enforcement agencies, 
     prosecutors, agencies of States or units of local government, 
     attorneys, health care providers, population-specific 
     organizations, faith-based advocates, victims service 
     providers, and courts to better serve victims of abuse in 
     later life, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual 
     assault, stalking, exploitation, and neglect.
       ``(B) Permissible activities.--An eligible entity receiving 
     a grant under this section may use the funds received under 
     the grant to--
       ``(i) provide training programs to assist attorneys, health 
     care providers, faith-based leaders, or other community-based 
     organizations in recognizing and addressing instances of 
     abuse in later life, including domestic violence, dating 
     violence, sexual assault, stalking, exploitation, and 
     neglect; and
       ``(ii) conducting outreach activities and public awareness 
     campaigns to ensure that victims of abuse in later life 
     (including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual 
     assault, stalking, exploitation, and neglect) receive 
     appropriate assistance.
       ``(C) Limitation.--An eligible entity receiving a grant 
     under this section may use not more than 10 percent of the 
     total funds received under the grant for an activity 
     described in subparagraph (B)(ii).
       ``(3) Eligible entities.--An entity shall be eligible to 
     receive a grant under this section if--
       ``(A) the entity is--
       ``(i) a State;
       ``(ii) a unit of local government;
       ``(iii) an Indian Tribal government or Tribal organization;
       ``(iv) a population-specific organization with demonstrated 
     experience in assisting individuals over 50 years of age;
       ``(v) a victim service provider with demonstrated 
     experience in addressing domestic violence, dating violence, 
     sexual assault, and stalking; or

[[Page S1145]]

       ``(vi) a State, Tribal, or Territorial domestic violence or 
     sexual assault coalition; and
       ``(B) the entity demonstrates that the entity is a part of 
     a multidisciplinary partnership that includes, at a minimum--
       ``(i) a law enforcement agency;
       ``(ii) a prosecutor's office;
       ``(iii) a victim service provider; and
       ``(iv) a nonprofit program or government agency with 
     demonstrated experience in assisting individuals in later 
     life.
       ``(4) Underserved populations.--In making grants under this 
     section, the Attorney General shall give priority to 
     proposals providing population-specific services to racial 
     and ethnic minorities and other underserved populations.
       ``(5) Authorization of appropriations.--
       ``(A) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
     to carry out this subsection $10,000,000 for each of fiscal 
     years 2012 through 2016.
       ``(B) Requirement.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to 
     subparagraph (A) shall remain available until expended and 
     may only be used for the activities described in this 
     subsection.
       ``(C) Allocation of funds.--
       ``(i) Administrative costs.--Of the amount appropriated 
     pursuant to subparagraph (A) in each fiscal year, the 
     Attorney General may use not more than 2.5 percent for 
     administration and monitoring of grants made under this 
     subsection.
       ``(ii) Evaluation.--Of the amount appropriated pursuant to 
     subparagraph (A) in each fiscal year the Attorney General may 
     use not more than 5 percent for contracts or cooperative 
     agreements with entities with demonstrated expertise in 
     program evaluation, to evaluate programs under this 
     subsection.
       ``(d) Research.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Attorney General, in consultation 
     with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall 
     conduct research to promote understanding of, prevention of, 
     and response to abuse in later life, including domestic 
     violence, sexual abuse, dating violence, stalking, 
     exploitation, and neglect.
       ``(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out paragraph (1) 
     $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2016.''.
       (b) Definition.--Section 40002(a) of the Violence Against 
     Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 13925(a)) is amended--
       (1) by striking paragraph (9);
       (2) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (8) as 
     paragraphs (2) through (9), respectively; and
       (3) by inserting before paragraph (2), as redesignated, the 
     following:
       ``(1) Abuse in later life.--The term `abuse in later life' 
     means any action against a person who is 50 years of age or 
     older that constitutes the willful--
       ``(A) infliction of injury, unreasonable confinement, 
     intimidation, or cruel punishment with resulting physical 
     harm, pain, or mental anguish; or
       ``(B) deprivation by a person, including a caregiver, of 
     goods or services with intent to cause physical harm, mental 
     anguish, or mental illness.''.
       (c) Technical and Conforming Correction.--The table of 
     contents in section 2 of the Violent Crime Control and Law 
     Enforcement Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-322; 108 Stat. 1796) 
     is amended in the table of contents by inserting after the 
     item relating to section 40703 the following:

 ``Subtitle H -- Enhanced Training and Services to End Abuse Later in 
                                  Life

``Sec. 40801. Enhance training and services to end abuse later in 
              life.''.

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