IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 460 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Congress 

should enact the Older Americans Bill of Rights to establish that older 

Americans should have the right to live with dignity and with independence. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 31, 2023 

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY (for herself, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. AGUILAR, Ms. BARRAGA ́N, 

Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. CARSON, Mr. CARTER of Louisiana, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Ms. CHU, Ms. CLARKE

of New York, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mrs. 

DINGELL, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. EVANS, Ms. LOIS

FRANKEL of Florida, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Mr. GARCI ́A of Illinois, Mr. 

GRIJALVA, Mr. HIGGINS of New York, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. JOHNSON of 

Georgia, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. KEATING, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. KILMER, Mr. 

KIM of New Jersey, Ms. KUSTER, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. LIEU, Mr. 

LYNCH, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Ms. MENG, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. MORELLE, Mr. NADLER, Ms. NORTON, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. 

PAYNE, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. POCAN, Ms. PORTER, Ms. PRESSLEY, Mr. 

SABLAN, Ms. SA ́NCHEZ, Mr. SARBANES, Ms. SCANLON, Ms. SEWELL, Mr. 

TAKANO, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. TONKO, Mr. 

TRONE, Mr. VARGAS, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. WILD, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. CASTEN, 

Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mrs. CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK, and Mr. FROST) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on 

Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 

provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 


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the Congress should enact the Older Americans Bill of 

Rights to establish that older Americans should have 

the right to live with dignity and with independence. 

Whereas the percentage of the United States population that 

is 65 years of age and older, including the percentage of 

aging veterans, is rapidly expanding, with 10,000 Americans turning age 65 every day; 

Whereas Federal policies are needed that promote economic 

well-being and quality of life for older Americans across 

many different communities, recognizing race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, cultural diversity, and the growing inequality between poor and 

wealthy families; 

Whereas Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Older 

Americans Act of 1965 provide critical resources to aging 

Americans and their families but should be expanded and 

improved to meet growing needs; 

Whereas prescription drug prices in the United States are 

nearly 4 times higher on average than in other peer nations, a burden that disproportionately falls on older 

Americans, as almost 90 percent of adults 65 or older 

take a prescription drug; 

Whereas aging Americans deserve a dignified, secure, and 

independent retirement, but nearly half of all Americans 

55 and older have no retirement benefits or savings; 

Whereas aging women (the majority of those over 65) live 

longer on average, are more likely to live in poverty, earn 

lower Social Security benefits, and are less likely to have 

pensions because of paycheck disparities, time spent out 

of the workforce for family caregiving responsibilities, 

and a greater chance of having worked low-wage jobs; 


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Whereas older Americans in rural, low-income, minority, Indian country, and other underserved communities may be 

especially vulnerable because of a lack of access to needed 

and affordable services that allow them to remain in their 

communities, including adequate transportation, functioning technology, and protected voting rights; 

Whereas 5,802,000 older Americans lived in poverty in 2018; 

5,500,000 older Americans were food insecure in 2021; 

40,000 older Americans experienced homelessness in 

2021 (a number projected to nearly triple to 106,000 by 

2030), and 1 in 5 Americans age 65 and older are socially isolated; 

Whereas many older Americans are living longer, working 

longer, and enjoying healthier, more active lifestyles than 

past generations, while others are facing shorter lifespans 

and increased physical, mental, and psychological challenges; 

Whereas age-friendly movements are gaining momentum 

across the country in communities, health systems, and 

public health initiatives but are not yet fully aligned and 

coordinated to ensure maximum results; 

Whereas 70 percent of those reaching age 65 will require 

long-term services and supports and will need to rely on 

family, friends, or paid caregivers; 

Whereas, by 2035 it is estimated that 1 in 3 households will 

be headed by someone aged 65 or older, but many older 

Americans face challenges in obtaining or keeping affordable, safe, and accessible housing; 

Whereas 6,000,000 children live in grandparent-headed 

households, and almost 3,000,000 are being raised by 

their grandparents; 


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Whereas approximately 75 percent of Medicare beneficiaries 

who need a hearing aid do not have one; 70 percent of 

beneficiaries who have trouble eating because of their 

teeth did not go to the dentist in the past year; and 43 

percent of beneficiaries who have trouble seeing did not 

have an eye exam in the past year; 

Whereas older Americans are increasingly the victims of 

fraud, scams, exploitation, identity theft, and even physical and financial abuse, that threaten their dignity, security, and health; and 

Whereas the COVID–19 pandemic disproportionately burdened older Americans, resulting in over 850,000 deaths 

as of May 2023, millions of cases, and increased distress 

in adults aged 65 and older, especially those in congregate living facilities: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that the Congress should enact the Older 

3 Americans Bill of Rights to establish that older Americans 

4 should have the right to live with dignity and with inde5 pendence, including the right to— 

6 (1) high-quality and affordable health care and 

7 long-term services and supports, through— 

8 (A) guaranteed access to equitable, com9 prehensive, geographically available, timely, safe 

10 and dignified health care; 

11 (B) preserved, improved, and expanded 

12 Medicare and Medicaid benefits; 


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1 (C) lower prescription drug prices and in2 creased drug price transparency; 

3 (D) mechanisms to allow aging in place, 

4 including support for family and nonfamily 

5 caregivers, and expansion of the direct care 

6 workforce; 

7 (E) protection against neglect, abandon8 ment, and domestic abuse; 

9 (F) culturally and linguistically competent 

10 health care and social services; 

11 (G) health-promoting public health policies 

12 and programs; 

13 (H) higher standards for skilled nursing 

14 facilities; 

15 (I) increased access to palliative care; and 

16 (J) increased access to nutritional service; 

17 (2) financial and retirement security for them18 selves and their families, through— 

19 (A) preserved, improved, and expanded So20 cial Security benefits; 

21 (B) protection for pensions as earned bene22 fits; 

23 (C) assistance in establishing retirement 

24 savings; 


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1 (D) protection against financial exploi2 tation, abuse, scams, and digital identity theft; 

3 and 

4 (E) job training, volunteer opportunities, 

5 and enforcement of age discrimination in em6 ployment prohibitions; and 

7 (3) full participation in and contribution to 

8 their communities, through— 

9 (A) accessible and affordable housing and 

10 transportation; 

11 (B) equitable access to technology, includ12 ing expanded broadband speed, affordability, 

13 and accessibility; 

14 (C) social networking and other opportuni15 ties for digital engagement; 

16 (D) the right to vote and improved polling 

17 location accessibility; and 

18 (E) culturally and linguistically competent 

19 and comprehensive home and community-based 

20 services. 

Æ 


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