[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 48 (Monday, March 23, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E384-E385]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             THE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ELDER JUSTICE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. PETER T. KING

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 23, 2015

  Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, today, March 23rd, marks the 5th 
anniversary of the signing into law of the bipartisan Elder Justice 
Act. I was proud to have been the sponsor of the House version of this 
bill with my former colleague Rahm Emanuel. I also note the strong 
leadership of Senator Hatch, former Senator Lincoln, and Senator 
Grassley on the Senate bill, which ultimately became law.
   The Elder Justice Act was passed for an important reason: to allow 
us to approach the growing problem of elder abuse with a more 
coordinated and comprehensive federal response. This has been 
accomplished to a certain degree over the past 5 years through some 
initiatives including the Elder Justice roadmap and the work of the 
Elder Justice Coordinating Council. We have a new Office of Elder 
Justice in the Department of Health and Human Services.
   Yet much of the Elder Justice Act remains unfulfilled because of an 
ongoing struggle for appropriate funding for its provisions. On this 
occasion I rededicate myself to seeing that the Act is reauthorized and 
that we invest adequate resources to its work. I am proud to be the 
author of H.R. 988 to renew the EJA and I commend my colleagues 
Representatives Lujan Grisham, Swalwell, Schakowsky, Cohen, Blumenauer, 
Frankel, Grayson and Honda for joining me as co-sponsors.
   At this point, I wish to submit a statement issued by the 
bipartisan, 3,000-member Elder Justice Coalition which has been 
steadfast in its leadership on behalf of elder justice for more than 10 
years. I am pleased to work closely with the Coalition and its national 
coordinator Robert Blancato and look forward to our continued work to 
help ameliorate the national outrage of elder abuse.

               Statement from the Elder Justice Coalition

                  (Bob Blancato, National Coordinator)

        March 23, 2015 marks the fifth anniversary of the 
     bipartisan Elder Justice Act being signed into law by 
     President Barack Obama.
        This law is historic as it represented the most 
     comprehensive legislation ever enacted to address the growing 
     national crisis of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. 
     Five years later, we still find ourselves in the grip of 
     elder abuse with an estimated one in ten persons over 60 as 
     victims. Elder financial abuse is especially rampant with 
     victims losing a minimum of $3 billion a year and perhaps as 
     high as $35 billion per year based on new research.
        It is important, however, to mark this fifth anniversary 
     noting that significant progress has been made as a result of 
     the passage of the EJA. This includes:
        The Elder Justice Act receiving $4 million in first-time 
     direct funding in FY 2015.
        President Obama's FY 2016 budget request including $25 
     million to continue the Elder Justice Initiative and a 
     previous request including $5 million for the long-term care 
     ombudsman program.
        The 2015 White House Conference on Aging including elder 
     justice as one of its four priority issues.
        A Global Summit planned for 2015 to observe the tenth 
     anniversary of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD).
        The creation of a new Office of Elder Justice and Adult 
     Protective Services (APS) in the Administration for Community 
     Living (ACL).
        The renewal of both the National Center on Elder Abuse and 
     the APS Resource Center by the Administration.
        A data collection project from ACL with APS.
        Increased work of the Social Security Administration to 
     combat elder financial abuse.
        Ongoing education and outreach work in the Office of Older 
     Americans in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
        The release of the Elder Justice Roadmap by the 
     Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS).
        The recommendations of the Elder Justice Coordinating 
     Council sent to HHS Secretary and later to Congress.
        On this fifth anniversary we also reflect on our 
     disappointment in how difficult it has proven to be to secure 
     appropriate funding for this law. To date, less than $13 
     million has been directed to elder justice over the past five 
     years and it took until just last year to achieve the first 
     direct Congressional appropriation for the law. The law 
     authorized a total of $777 million dollars for local grants, 
     training, services, education, to address abuse in the 
     community and long-term care facilities, to help prevent 
     abuse, and to assist victims and prosecute perpetrators. We 
     have not made the progress and the investment that this issue 
     and those that have been victimized deserve.

[[Page E385]]

        In this year ahead we must focus attention on 
     reauthorizing the Elder Justice Act. The Coalition commends 
     Representative Peter King for his introduction of H.R. 988 in 
     this Congress and also for being the House author of the 
     original Elder Justice Act. Similarly we salute the 
     leadership of Senator Orrin Hatch, the author of the Elder 
     Justice Act in the Senate. We also acknowledge the critical 
     work that Senator Chuck Grassley did to help pass the Act.
        As our nation continues to grow older, we have to 
     recognize that elder abuse will also grow unless we commit 
     resources to help prevent it. This includes providing 
     adequate funding for Adult Protective Services in all our 
     states as well as for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program so 
     we are able to investigate elder abuse in nursing homes and 
     assisted living facilities. This is the essence of the Elder 
     Justice Act, a sound investment in a safe future for older 
     Americans.
        We also recognize that we need to reauthorize and fund 
     other programs that work hand in hand with the EJA. The Older 
     Americans Act with its important elder abuse provisions and 
     aging network is past due for reauthorization. We must also 
     protect the core funding we currently have for Adult 
     Protective Services through the Social Services Block Grant 
     Program.
        Finally, we must also take advantage of an important 
     opportunity provided by the Congress in the FY 2015 omnibus 
     appropriations bill. In this measure, the cap for the Crime 
     Victims' Fund, created by the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), 
     was more than tripled from $730 million to a new high of 
     $2.361 billion. We call on the Justice Department and state 
     VOCA agencies to direct an appropriate amount of these new 
     funds to aid elder abuse crime victims.
        Our bipartisan 3000 member Elder Justice Coalition sees 
     this fifth anniversary as a turning point in our national 
     effort to prevent elder abuse. We cannot be in denial that 
     the problem exists; instead, we need to put the same 
     commitment into addressing this crisis as we have done with 
     child abuse for more than 40 years and domestic violence over 
     the past 20.
        Older adults deserve to live a life free from the reality 
     or even the fear of elder abuse. That is our agenda, pure and 
     simple. Let us build on the work done over these past five 
     years and strive to achieve elder justice which has to mean 
     the prevention of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.

     

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