[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15430-15433]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               ELDER ABUSE PREVENTION AND PROSECUTION ACT

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 178) to prevent elder abuse and exploitation and improve the 
justice system's response to victims in elder abuse and exploitation 
cases.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                 S. 178

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Elder 
     Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act 
     is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definitions.

       TITLE I--SUPPORTING FEDERAL CASES INVOLVING ELDER JUSTICE

Sec. 101. Supporting Federal cases involving elder justice.

      TITLE II--IMPROVED DATA COLLECTION AND FEDERAL COORDINATION

Sec. 201. Establishment of best practices for local, State, and Federal 
              data collection.
Sec. 202. Effective interagency coordination and Federal data 
              collection.

     TITLE III--ENHANCED VICTIM ASSISTANCE TO ELDER ABUSE SURVIVORS

Sec. 301. Sense of the Senate.
Sec. 302. Report.

      TITLE IV--ROBERT MATAVA ELDER ABUSE PROSECUTION ACT OF 2017

Sec. 401. Short title.
Sec. 402. Enhanced penalty for telemarketing and email marketing fraud 
              directed at elders.
Sec. 403. Training and technical assistance for States.
Sec. 404. Interstate initiatives.

                         TITLE V--MISCELLANEOUS

Sec. 501. Court-appointed guardianship oversight activities under the 
              Elder Justice Act of 2009.
Sec. 502. GAO reports.
Sec. 503. Outreach to State and local law enforcement agencies.
Sec. 504. Model power of attorney legislation.
Sec. 505. Best practices and model legislation for guardianship 
              proceedings.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act--
       (1) the terms ``abuse'', ``adult protective services'', 
     ``elder'', ``elder justice'', ``exploitation'', ``law 
     enforcement'', and ``neglect'' have the meanings given those 
     terms in section 2011 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     1397j);
       (2) the term ``elder abuse'' includes abuse, neglect, and 
     exploitation of an elder; and
       (3) the term ``State'' means each of the several States of 
     the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth 
     of Puerto Rico, and any other territory or possession of the 
     United States.

       TITLE I--SUPPORTING FEDERAL CASES INVOLVING ELDER JUSTICE

     SEC. 101. SUPPORTING FEDERAL CASES INVOLVING ELDER JUSTICE.

       (a) Support and Assistance.--
       (1) Elder justice coordinators.--The Attorney General shall 
     designate in each Federal judicial district not less than one 
     Assistant United States Attorney to serve as the Elder 
     Justice Coordinator for the district, who, in addition to any 
     other responsibilities, shall be responsible for--
       (A) serving as the legal counsel for the Federal judicial 
     district on matters relating to elder abuse;
       (B) prosecuting, or assisting in the prosecution of, elder 
     abuse cases;
       (C) conducting public outreach and awareness activities 
     relating to elder abuse; and
       (D) ensuring the collection of data required to be 
     collected under section 202.
       (2) Investigative support.--The Attorney General, in 
     consultation with the Director of the Federal Bureau of 
     Investigation, shall, with respect to crimes relating to 
     elder abuse, ensure the implementation of a regular and 
     comprehensive training program to train agents of the Federal 
     Bureau of Investigation in the investigation and prosecution 
     of such crimes and the enforcement of laws related to elder 
     abuse, which shall include--
       (A) specialized strategies for communicating with and 
     assisting elder abuse victims; and
       (B) relevant forensic training relating to elder abuse.
       (3) Resource group.--The Attorney General, through the 
     Executive Office for United States Attorneys, shall ensure 
     the operation of a resource group to facilitate the sharing 
     of knowledge, experience, sample pleadings and other case 
     documents, training materials, and any other resources to 
     assist prosecutors throughout the United States in pursuing 
     cases relating to elder abuse.
       (4) Designated elder justice working group or subcommittee 
     to the attorney general's advisory committee of united states 
     attorneys.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Attorney General, in consultation 
     with the Director of the Executive Office for United States 
     Attorneys, shall establish a subcommittee or working group to 
     the Attorney General's Advisory Committee of United States 
     Attorneys, as established under section 0.10 of title 28, 
     Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto, for 
     the purposes of advising the Attorney General on policies of 
     the Department of Justice relating to elder abuse.
       (b) Department of Justice Elder Justice Coordinator.--Not 
     later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
     the Attorney General shall designate an Elder Justice 
     Coordinator within the Department of Justice who, in addition 
     to any other responsibilities, shall be responsible for--
       (1) coordinating and supporting the law enforcement efforts 
     and policy activities for the Department of Justice on elder 
     justice issues;
       (2) evaluating training models to determine best practices 
     and creating or compiling and making publicly available 
     replication guides and training materials for law enforcement 
     officers, prosecutors, judges, emergency responders, 
     individuals working in victim services, adult protective 
     services, social services, and public safety, medical 
     personnel, mental health personnel, financial services 
     personnel, and any other individuals whose work may bring 
     them in contact with elder abuse regarding how to--
       (A) conduct investigations in elder abuse cases;
       (B) address evidentiary issues and other legal issues; and
       (C) appropriately assess, respond to, and interact with 
     victims and witnesses in elder abuse cases, including in 
     administrative, civil, and criminal judicial proceedings; and
       (3) carrying out such other duties as the Attorney General 
     determines necessary in connection with enhancing the 
     understanding, prevention, and detection of, and response to, 
     elder abuse.
       (c) Federal Trade Commission.--
       (1) Federal trade commission elder justice coordinator.--
     Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission shall 
     designate within the Bureau of Consumer Protection of the 
     Federal Trade Commission an Elder Justice Coordinator who, in 
     addition to any other responsibilities, shall be responsible 
     for--
       (A) coordinating and supporting the enforcement and 
     consumer education efforts and policy activities of the 
     Federal Trade Commission on elder justice issues; and
       (B) serving as, or ensuring the availability of, a central 
     point of contact for individuals, units of local government, 
     States, and other Federal agencies on matters relating to the 
     enforcement and consumer education efforts and policy 
     activities of the Federal Trade Commission on elder justice 
     issues.
       (2) Reports to congress.--Not later than 1 year after the 
     date of enactment of this Act, and once every year 
     thereafter, the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission and 
     the Attorney General shall each submit to the Committee on 
     the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the 
     Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report detailing 
     the enforcement actions taken by the Federal Trade Commission 
     and the Department of Justice, respectively, over the 
     preceding year in each case in which not less than one victim 
     was an elder or that involved a financial scheme or scam that 
     was either targeted directly toward or largely affected 
     elders, including--
       (A) the name of the district where the case originated;
       (B) the style of the case, including the case name and 
     number;
       (C) a description of the scheme or scam; and
       (D) the outcome of the case.
       (d) Use of Appropriated Funds.--No additional funds are 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section.

      TITLE II--IMPROVED DATA COLLECTION AND FEDERAL COORDINATION

     SEC. 201. ESTABLISHMENT OF BEST PRACTICES FOR LOCAL, STATE, 
                   AND FEDERAL DATA COLLECTION.

       (a) In General.--The Attorney General, in consultation with 
     Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies, shall--
       (1) establish best practices for data collection to focus 
     on elder abuse; and
       (2) provide technical assistance to State, local, and 
     tribal governments in adopting the best practices established 
     under paragraph (1).
       (b) Deadline.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall publish the 
     best practices

[[Page 15431]]

     established under subsection (a)(1) on the website of the 
     Department of Justice in a publicly accessible manner.
       (c) Limitation.--Nothing in this section shall be construed 
     to require or obligate compliance with the best practices 
     established under subsection (a)(1).

     SEC. 202. EFFECTIVE INTERAGENCY COORDINATION AND FEDERAL DATA 
                   COLLECTION.

       (a) In General.--The Attorney General, in consultation with 
     the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall, on an 
     annual basis--
       (1) collect from Federal law enforcement agencies, other 
     agencies as appropriate, and Federal prosecutors' offices 
     statistical data related to elder abuse cases, including 
     cases or investigations where one or more victims were 
     elders, or the case or investigation involved a financial 
     scheme or scam that was either targeted directly toward or 
     largely affected elders; and
       (2) publish on the website of the Department of Justice in 
     a publicly accessible manner--
       (A) a summary of the data collected under paragraph (1); 
     and
       (B) recommendations for collecting additional data relating 
     to elder abuse, including recommendations for ways to improve 
     data reporting across Federal, State, and local agencies.
       (b) Requirement.--The data collected under subsection 
     (a)(1) shall include--
       (1) the total number of investigations initiated by Federal 
     law enforcement agencies, other agencies as appropriate, and 
     Federal prosecutors' offices related to elder abuse;
       (2) the total number and types of elder abuse cases filed 
     in Federal courts; and
       (3) for each case described in paragraph (2)--
       (A) the name of the district where the case originated;
       (B) the style of the case, including the case name and 
     number;
       (C) a description of the act or acts giving rise to the 
     elder abuse;
       (D) in the case of a scheme or scam, a description of such 
     scheme or scam giving rise to the elder abuse;
       (E) information about each alleged perpetrator of the elder 
     abuse; and
       (F) the outcome of the case.
       (c) HHS Requirement.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services shall, on an annual basis, provide to the Attorney 
     General statistical data collected by the Secretary relating 
     to elder abuse cases investigated by adult protective 
     services, which shall be included in the summary published 
     under subsection (a)(2).
       (d) Prohibition on Individual Data.--None of the 
     information reported under this section shall include 
     specific individually identifiable data.

     TITLE III--ENHANCED VICTIM ASSISTANCE TO ELDER ABUSE SURVIVORS

     SEC. 301. SENSE OF THE SENATE.

       (a) Findings.--The Senate finds the following:
       (1) The vast majority of cases of abuse, neglect, and 
     exploitation of older adults in the United States go 
     unidentified and unreported.
       (2) Not less than $2,900,000,000 is taken from older adults 
     each year due to financial abuse and exploitation.
       (3) Elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation have no 
     boundaries and cross all racial, social, class, gender, and 
     geographic lines.
       (4) Older adults who are abused are 3 times more likely to 
     die earlier than older adults of the same age who are not 
     abused.
       (5) Up to half of all older adults with dementia will 
     experience abuse.
       (b) Sense of the Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate 
     that--
       (1) elder abuse involves the exploitation of potentially 
     vulnerable individuals with devastating physical, mental, 
     emotional, and financial consequences to the victims and 
     their loved ones;
       (2) to combat this affront to America's older adults, we 
     must do everything possible to both support victims of elder 
     abuse and prevent the abuse from occurring in the first 
     place; and
       (3) the Senate supports a multipronged approach to prevent 
     elder abuse and exploitation, protect the victims of elder 
     abuse and exploitation from further harm, and bring the 
     perpetrators of such crimes to justice.

     SEC. 302. REPORT.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date on 
     which the collection of statistical data under section 
     202(a)(1) begins and once each year thereafter, the Director 
     of the Office for Victims of Crime shall submit a report to 
     the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the 
     Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives 
     that addresses, to the extent data are available, the nature, 
     extent, and amount of funding under the Victims of Crime Act 
     of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10601 et seq.) for victims of crime who 
     are elders.
       (b) Contents.--The report required under subsection (a) 
     shall include--
       (1) an analysis of victims' assistance, victims' 
     compensation, and discretionary grants under which elder 
     abuse victims (including elder victims of financial abuse, 
     financial exploitation, and fraud) received assistance; and
       (2) recommendations for improving services for victims of 
     elder abuse.

      TITLE IV--ROBERT MATAVA ELDER ABUSE PROSECUTION ACT OF 2017

     SEC. 401. SHORT TITLE.

       This title may be cited as the ``Robert Matava Elder Abuse 
     Prosecution Act of 2017''.

     SEC. 402. ENHANCED PENALTY FOR TELEMARKETING AND EMAIL 
                   MARKETING FRAUD DIRECTED AT ELDERS.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 113A of title 18, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (1) in the chapter heading, by inserting ``AND EMAIL 
     MARKETING'' after ``TELEMARKETING'';
       (2) by striking section 2325 and inserting the following:

     ``Sec. 2325. Definition

       ``In this chapter, the term `telemarketing or email 
     marketing'--
       ``(1) means a plan, program, promotion, or campaign that is 
     conducted to induce--
       ``(A) purchases of goods or services;
       ``(B) participation in a contest or sweepstakes;
       ``(C) a charitable contribution, donation, or gift of money 
     or any other thing of value;
       ``(D) investment for financial profit;
       ``(E) participation in a business opportunity;
       ``(F) commitment to a loan; or
       ``(G) participation in a fraudulent medical study, research 
     study, or pilot study,
     by use of one or more interstate telephone calls, emails, 
     text messages, or electronic instant messages initiated 
     either by a person who is conducting the plan, program, 
     promotion, or campaign or by a prospective purchaser or 
     contest or sweepstakes participant or charitable contributor, 
     donor, or investor; and
       ``(2) does not include the solicitation through the 
     posting, publication, or mailing of a catalog or brochure 
     that--
       ``(A) contains a written description or illustration of the 
     goods, services, or other opportunities being offered;
       ``(B) includes the business address of the solicitor;
       ``(C) includes multiple pages of written material or 
     illustration; and
       ``(D) has been issued not less frequently than once a year,
     if the person making the solicitation does not solicit 
     customers by telephone, email, text message, or electronic 
     instant message, but only receives interstate telephone 
     calls, emails, text messages, or electronic instant messages 
     initiated by customers in response to the written materials, 
     whether in hard copy or digital format, and in response to 
     those interstate telephone calls, emails, text messages, or 
     electronic instant messages does not conduct further 
     solicitation.'';
       (3) in section 2326, in the matter preceding paragraph 
     (1)--
       (A) by striking ``or 1344'' and inserting ``1344, or 1347 
     or section 1128B of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320a-
     7b)''; and
       (B) by inserting ``or email marketing'' after 
     ``telemarketing''; and
       (4) by adding at the end the following:

     ``Sec. 2328. Mandatory forfeiture

       ``(a) In General.--The court, in imposing sentence on a 
     person who is convicted of any offense for which an enhanced 
     penalty is provided under section 2326, shall order that the 
     defendant forfeit to the United States--
       ``(1) any property, real or personal, constituting or 
     traceable to gross proceeds obtained from such offense; and
       ``(2) any equipment, software, or other technology used or 
     intended to be used to commit or to facilitate the commission 
     of such offense.
       ``(b) Procedures.--The procedures set forth in section 413 
     of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 853), other than 
     subsection (d) of that section, and in Rule 32.2 of the 
     Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, shall apply to all 
     stages of a criminal forfeiture proceeding under this 
     section.''.
       (b) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
       (1) The table of chapters at the beginning of part I of 
     title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking the item 
     relating to chapter 113A and inserting the following:

``113A. Telemarketing and email marketing fraud.............2325''.....

       (2) The table of sections for chapter 113A of title 18, 
     United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item 
     relating to section 2327 the following:

``2328. Mandatory forfeiture.''.

     SEC. 403. TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR STATES.

       The Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of 
     Health and Human Services and in coordination with the Elder 
     Justice Coordinating Council (established under section 2021 
     of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397k)), shall create, 
     compile, evaluate, and disseminate materials and information, 
     and provide the necessary training and technical assistance, 
     to assist States and units of local government in--
       (1) investigating, prosecuting, pursuing, preventing, 
     understanding, and mitigating the impact of--
       (A) physical, sexual, and psychological abuse of elders;
       (B) exploitation of elders, including financial abuse and 
     scams targeting elders; and

[[Page 15432]]

       (C) neglect of elders; and
       (2) assessing, addressing, and mitigating the physical and 
     psychological trauma to victims of elder abuse.

     SEC. 404. INTERSTATE INITIATIVES.

       (a) Interstate Agreements and Compacts.--The consent of 
     Congress is given to any two or more States (acting through 
     State agencies with jurisdiction over adult protective 
     services) to enter into agreements or compacts for 
     cooperative effort and mutual assistance--
       (1) in promoting the safety and well-being of elders; and
       (2) in enforcing their respective laws and policies to 
     promote such safety and well-being.
       (b) Recommendations on Interstate Communication.--The 
     Executive Director of the State Justice Institute, in 
     consultation with State or local adult protective services, 
     aging, social, and human services and law enforcement 
     agencies, nationally recognized nonprofit associations with 
     expertise in data sharing among criminal justice agencies and 
     familiarity with the issues raised in elder abuse cases, and 
     the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall submit to 
     Congress legislative proposals relating to the facilitation 
     of interstate agreements and compacts.

                         TITLE V--MISCELLANEOUS

     SEC. 501. COURT-APPOINTED GUARDIANSHIP OVERSIGHT ACTIVITIES 
                   UNDER THE ELDER JUSTICE ACT OF 2009.

       Section 2042(c) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     1397m-1(c)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``(and, in the case of 
     demonstration programs described in paragraph (2)(E), to the 
     highest courts of States)'' after ``States'';
       (2) in paragraph (2)--
       (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting 
     ``(and the highest courts of States, in the case of 
     demonstration programs described in subparagraph (E))'' after 
     ``local units of government'';
       (B) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``or'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (C) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as subparagraph (F); 
     and
       (D) by inserting after subparagraph (D), the following new 
     subparagraph:
       ``(E) subject to paragraph (3), programs to assess the 
     fairness, effectiveness, timeliness, safety, integrity, and 
     accessibility of adult guardianship and conservatorship 
     proceedings, including the appointment and the monitoring of 
     the performance of court-appointed guardians and 
     conservators, and to implement changes deemed necessary as a 
     result of the assessments such as mandating background checks 
     for all potential guardians and conservators, and 
     implementing systems to enable the annual accountings and 
     other required conservatorship and guardianship filings to be 
     completed, filed, and reviewed electronically in order to 
     simplify the filing process for conservators and guardians 
     and better enable courts to identify discrepancies and detect 
     fraud and the exploitation of protected persons; or'';
       (3) by redesignating paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) as 
     paragraphs (4), (5), and (6), respectively;
       (4) by inserting after paragraph (2), the following new 
     paragraph:
       ``(3) Requirements for court-appointed guardianship 
     oversight demonstration programs.--
       ``(A) Award of grants.--In awarding grants to the highest 
     courts of States for demonstration programs described in 
     paragraph (2)(E), the Secretary shall consider the 
     recommendations of the Attorney General and the State Justice 
     Institute, as established by section 203 of the State Justice 
     Institute Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10702).
       ``(B) Collaboration.--The highest court of a State awarded 
     a grant to conduct a demonstration program described in 
     paragraph (2)(E) shall collaborate with the State Unit on 
     Aging for the State and the Adult Protective Services agency 
     for the State in conducting the demonstration program.'';
       (5) in paragraph (4) (as redesignated by paragraph (3) of 
     this section), by inserting ``(and, in the case of 
     demonstration programs described in paragraph (2)(E), the 
     highest court of a State)'' after ``a State''; and
       (6) in paragraph (5) (as so redesignated), by inserting 
     ``(or, in the case of demonstration programs described in 
     paragraph (2)(E), the highest court of a State)'' after 
     ``State'' each place it appears.

     SEC. 502. GAO REPORTS.

       (a) Elder Justice Recommendations.--Not later than 18 
     months after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
     Comptroller General of the United States shall review 
     existing Federal programs and initiatives in the Federal 
     criminal justice system relevant to elder justice and shall 
     submit to Congress--
       (1) a report on such programs and initiatives; and
       (2) any recommendations the Comptroller General determines 
     are appropriate to improve elder justice in the United 
     States.
       (b) Report on Elder Abuse and International Criminal 
     Enterprises.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
     States shall submit to Congress a report on--
       (1) Federal Government efforts to monitor--
       (A) the exploitation of older adults of the United States 
     in global drug trafficking schemes and other international 
     criminal enterprises;
       (B) the extent to which exploitation of older adults of the 
     United States by international criminal enterprises has 
     resulted in the incarceration of these citizens of the United 
     States in foreign countries; and
       (C) the total annual number of elder abuse cases pending in 
     the United States; and
       (2) the results of intervention by the United States with 
     foreign officials on behalf of citizens of the United States 
     who are elder abuse victims in international criminal 
     enterprises.

     SEC. 503. OUTREACH TO STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT 
                   AGENCIES.

       The Attorney General shall submit to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of 
     the House of Representatives a report on efforts by the 
     Department of Justice to conduct outreach to State and local 
     law enforcement agencies on the process for collaborating 
     with the Federal Government for the purpose of investigating 
     and prosecuting interstate and international elder financial 
     exploitation cases.

     SEC. 504. MODEL POWER OF ATTORNEY LEGISLATION.

       The Attorney General shall publish model power of attorney 
     legislation for the purpose of preventing elder abuse.

     SEC. 505. BEST PRACTICES AND MODEL LEGISLATION FOR 
                   GUARDIANSHIP PROCEEDINGS.

       The Attorney General shall publish best practices for 
     improving guardianship proceedings and model legislation 
     relating to guardianship proceedings for the purpose of 
     preventing elder abuse.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on S. 178, currently under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 178, the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act, 
takes several steps to protect American seniors from financial 
exploitation and physical abuse. This legislation promotes the 
investigation and prosecution of perpetrators who prey upon seniors, 
enhances data collection, and provides resources for robust elder abuse 
prevention programs.
  Some estimate that approximately 1 in 10 senior citizens are abused 
annually, but only 1 in 23 cases of elder abuse are reported to 
authorities each year. At least $2.9 billion is taken from older adults 
each year due to financial abuse and exploitation.
  The abuse of these vulnerable victims causes devastating physical, 
mental, emotional, and financial consequences to the victims and their 
loved ones, and we must combat this injustice.
  This bill requires each U.S. Attorney's Office to appoint an elder 
justice coordinator and requires the FBI to provide specialized 
training to agents relating to the investigation of elder abuse crimes. 
It mandates that both the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade 
Commission designate an elder justice coordinator.
  It strengthens criminal laws to ensure that offenders who seek to 
exploit seniors through fraudulent email marketing are appropriately 
punished, and it enhances data collection on crimes against senior 
citizens so we can one day understand the full scope of this problem.
  I believe it was Mahatma Gandhi who said: ``A nation's greatness is 
measured by how it treats its weakest members.'' We must ensure that 
appropriate measures are taken to protect our senior citizens, and that 
is precisely what this bill aims to do.
  This bill passed the Senate unanimously, and I urge my colleagues to 
support this legislation in similar fashion.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Michigan, the ranking member of 
the committee, for his work on this important legislation.

[[Page 15433]]

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 178, the Elder Abuse 
Prevention and Prosecution Act. I thank the chairman of the Judiciary 
Committee for his excellent work in this area.
  This legislation would increase protections for elder abuse victims, 
which is very important, as a vast majority of cases of abuse, neglect, 
and exploitation of older adults in the United States often go 
unreported and unaddressed.
  Each year, nearly $3 billion is taken from older adults due to 
financial abuse and exploitation, and this is happening across all 
racial, social, economic, gender, and geographic lines.
  This important measure increases protections for victims by, first, 
ensuring support for Federal cases involving elder abuse. This support 
will include the requirement that the Attorney General designate at 
least one assistant United States attorney to serve as an elder justice 
coordinator in every judicial district to prosecute, train, assist 
with, and conduct public outreach on elder abuse.
  Additionally, this measure would also require that the Executive 
Office for United States Attorneys operate an elder abuse resource 
group and a working group to advise the Justice Department on elder 
abuse issues.
  Secondly, this measure would require the establishment of best 
practices for local, State, and Federal data collection to focus on 
elder abuse, including, for example, the total number of Federal 
investigations of elder abuse and locations where cases are filed.
  Findings under this legislation include the fact that older adults 
who are abused are three times more likely to die earlier than older 
adults of the same age who are not abused, and that up to half of all 
older adults with dementia will experience abuse.
  For these reasons, a third component of this measure that I find 
extremely important and valuable is the enhanced victim assistance to 
elder abuse survivors. This measure would require that an annual report 
be submitted to Congress on the funding under the Victims of Crime Act 
of 1984 for victims of crimes who are elders.
  And finally, this measure adds a new definition of ``telemarketing 
and email marketing'' under the telemarketing statute to protect 
victims of such scams, which typically involve elders.
  We must do everything possible to support victims of elder abuse and 
prevent the abuse from occurring in the first place. And so for these 
several reasons, I am very pleased to support the bill with the 
chairman of the committee.
  Mr. Speaker, Members of the House, the elder abuse problem has 
devastating consequences to the victims as well as their loved ones, 
and it is an affront to America's older adults. It involves the 
exploitation of some of our most vulnerable citizens.
  This measure includes a multipronged approach to prevent elder abuse 
and exploitation, protect the victims of elder abuse and exploitation 
from further harm, and bring the perpetrators of these crimes to 
justice. Accordingly, I am pleased to urge my colleagues to support 
this measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume 
to again thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their work 
on this important legislation to help protect senior citizens from 
crime.
  I know, from experience, that there are many, many senior citizens 
who become victims of online, on-telephone, and other forms of fraud 
perpetrated upon them; and this legislation helps to provide resources 
and appropriate punishments, to detect the people who perpetrate these 
crimes and to bring them to justice, and I urge my colleagues to 
support the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, S. 178.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________