III 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 371 

Supporting the designation of the week of September 18 through September 

22, 2023, as ‘‘Malnutrition Awareness Week’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 27 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 22), 2023 

Mr. MURPHY (for himself, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. BOOKER, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. 

BLUMENTHAL, and Ms. HASSAN) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the designation of the week of September 18 

through September 22, 2023, as ‘‘Malnutrition Awareness Week’’. 

Whereas malnutrition is the condition that occurs when an 

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

Whereas malnutrition is a significant problem in the United 

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

class, gender, and geographic lines; 

Whereas malnutrition can be driven by social determinants of 

health, including poverty or economic instability, access 

to affordable healthcare, and low health literacy; 


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•SRES 371 IS 

Whereas there are inextricable and cyclical links between poverty and malnutrition; 

Whereas the Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as when an individual or household does not have 

regular, reliable access to the foods needed for good 

health; 

Whereas communities of color, across all age groups, are disproportionately likely to experience both food insecurity 

and malnutrition; 

Whereas Black children are almost 3 times more likely to live 

in a food-insecure household than White children; 

Whereas infants, older adults, individuals 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 report entitled ‘‘National Blueprint: Achieving Quality Malnutrition Care for Older 

Adults, 2020 Update’’ of the Malnutrition Quality Collaborative, as many as 1⁄2 of older adults living in the 

United States are malnourished or at risk for malnutrition; 

Whereas, according to recent surveys conducted by the Aging 

Network— 


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•SRES 371 IS 

(1) 76 percent of older adults receiving meals at senior centers and other congregate facilities report improved health outcomes; and 

(2) 84 percent of older adults receiving home-delivered meals indicate improved health outcomes; 

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 about, and promote the prevention of, 

malnutrition throughout the lifespan: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) supports the designation of ‘‘Malnutrition 

3 Awareness Week’’; 

4 (2) recognizes registered dietitian nutritionists 

5 and other nutrition professionals, health care pro6 viders, school food service workers, social workers, 

7 advocates, caregivers, and other professionals and 

8 agencies for their efforts to advance awareness 

9 about, treatment for, and prevention of malnutrition; 

10 (3) recognizes the importance of Federal nutri11 tion programs, including the nutrition programs 

12 under title III of the Older Americans Act of 1965 

13 (42 U.S.C. 3021 et seq.) and Federal child nutrition 

14 programs, for their role in combating malnutrition; 


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•SRES 371 IS 

1 (4) supports increased funding for the critical 

2 programs described in paragraph (3); 

3 (5) recognizes— 

4 (A) the importance of medical nutrition 

5 therapy under the Medicare program under title 

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

7 1395 et seq.); and 

8 (B) the need for vulnerable populations to 

9 have access to nutrition counseling; 

10 (6) recognizes the importance of the innovative 

11 research conducted by the National Institutes of 

12 Health relating to— 

13 (A) nutrition, dietary patterns, and the 

14 human gastrointestinal microbiome; and 

15 (B) how the factors described in subpara16 graph (A) influence the prevention or develop17 ment of chronic disease throughout the lifespan; 

18 (7) supports access to malnutrition screening 

19 and assessment for all patients; 

20 (8) encourages the Centers for Medicare & 

21 Medicaid Services to evaluate the implementation of 

22 newly approved malnutrition electronic clinical qual23 ity measures; and 

24 (9) acknowledges the importance of access to 

25 healthy food for children, especially in childcare setVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:20 Sep 28, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR371.IS SR371

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•SRES 371 IS 

1 tings and schools, and the benefits of evidence-based 

2 nutrition standards. 

Æ 


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