III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 716 

Designating the week of October 5 through October 9, 2020, as ‘‘Malnutrition 

Awareness Week’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 

Mr. MURPHY (for himself, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Ms. HASSAN, Mr. 

BOOKER, Ms. SMITH, Ms. SINEMA, Mr. MANCHIN, Mr. KING, Mr. 

BLUMENTHAL, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. 

CARDIN, Mr. COONS, Mr. LANKFORD, Mr. TILLIS, Mr. ROBERTS, Ms. 

COLLINS, and Mrs. CAPITO) submitted the following resolution; which 

was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Designating the week of October 5 through October 9, 2020, 

as ‘‘Malnutrition Awareness Week’’. 

Whereas malnutrition is the condition that occurs when a 

person does not get enough protein, calories, or nutrients; 

Whereas the 2020 Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19) 

pandemic (referred to in this preamble as the ‘‘2020 

coronavirus pandemic’’)— 

(1) has resulted in a significant increase in food insecurity, which is linked to malnutrition; and 

(2) has nearly doubled food insufficiency rates since 

2019; 


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Whereas the 2020 coronavirus pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on children, as 13,900,000 children live in 

a household characterized by child food insufficiency, and 

the rate of households with food insufficient children in 

2020 was more than 5 times the rate of households with 

food insufficient children in 2019; 

Whereas the impact of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic on the 

chronically ill has forced the examination of chronic disease prevention, especially through nutrient consumption 

and absorption, which is examined in the 2020–2030 

Strategic Plan for NIH Nutrition Research published by 

the National Institutes of Health; 

Whereas malnutrition is a significant problem in the United 

States and around the world, crossing all age, racial, 

class, gender, and geographic lines; 

Whereas infants, older adults, people with chronic diseases, 

and other vulnerable populations are particularly at risk 

for malnutrition; 

Whereas the American Academy of Pediatrics has found that 

failure to provide key nutrients during early childhood 

may result in lifelong deficits in brain function; 

Whereas disease-associated malnutrition affects between 30 

and 50 percent of patients admitted to hospitals, and the 

medical costs of hospitalized patients with malnutrition 

can be 300 percent more than the medical costs of properly nourished patients; 

Whereas, according to the National Blueprint: Achieving 

Quality Malnutrition Care for Older Adults, 2020 Update, as many as 1⁄2 of older adults living in the community are malnourished or at risk for malnutrition; 


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•SRES 716 IS 

Whereas disease-associated malnutrition in older adults alone 

costs the United States more than $51,300,000,000 each 

year; and 

Whereas the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral 

Nutrition established Malnutrition Awareness Week to 

raise awareness and promote prevention of malnutrition 

across the lifespan: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates the week of October 5 through 

3 October 9, 2020, as ‘‘Malnutrition Awareness 

4 Week’’; 

5 (2) recognizes registered dietitian nutritionists 

6 and other nutrition professionals, health care pro7 viders, social workers, advocates, caregivers, and 

8 other professionals and agencies for their efforts to 

9 advance awareness, treatment, and prevention of 

10 malnutrition; 

11 (3)(A) recognizes the importance of existing 

12 Federal nutrition programs for their role in com13 bating malnutrition; and 

14 (B) supports emergency funding for those crit15 ical Federal nutrition programs for the duration of 

16 the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19) pan17 demic; 

18 (4) recognizes— 

19 (A) the importance of medical nutrition 

20 therapy under the Medicare program under title 


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1 XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

2 1395 et seq.); and 

3 (B) the need for vulnerable populations to 

4 have access to nutrition counseling; 

5 (5) recognizes the importance of the innovative 

6 research conducted by the National Institutes of 

7 Health on— 

8 (A) nutrition, dietary patterns, and the 

9 human gastrointestinal microbiome; and 

10 (B) how those factors influence the preven11 tion or development of chronic disease through12 out the lifespan; and 

13 (6)(A) supports access to a malnutrition screen14 ing and assessment; and 

15 (B) encourages the Centers for Medicare & 

16 Medicaid Services to evaluate— 

17 (i) the provision of a malnutrition screen18 ing and assessment through telehealth during 

19 the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19) 

20 public health emergency; and 

21 (ii) the adoption of malnutrition electronic 

22 clinical quality measures. 

Æ 


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