IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 871 

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 

FEBRUARY 27, 2020 

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY (for herself, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. LAMB, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, 

Mrs. DINGELL, Ms. PRESSLEY, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. CLAY, Mr. DANNY K. 

DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. COOPER, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, 

Mr. VELA, Mr. SUOZZI, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, 

Mr. CISNEROS, Ms. WILD, Ms. NORTON, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, 

Mr. NADLER, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. MOORE, Ms. TLAIB, Ms. STEVENS, Ms. 

FUDGE, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Mr. RUSH, Mr. LIPINSKI, Ms. PINGREE, 

Ms. CLARKE of New York, Ms. MUCARSEL-POWELL, Mr. POCAN, Mr. 

RASKIN, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mrs. BUSTOS, Mr. LEVIN of Michigan, Ms. BARRAGA ́N, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. JEFFRIES, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, 

Ms. PORTER, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. KILMER, Mr. 

GONZALEZ of Texas, Mr. MEEKS, Mr. TONKO, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. SA ́NCHEZ, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. 

PASCRELL, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Ms. MENG, Mr. GARAMENDI, Ms. 

LEE of California, Mr. TED LIEU of California, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. SOTO, 

Ms. WEXTON, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. COURTNEY, Ms. DEGETTE, 

Mr. SERRANO, Mr. TRONE, Miss RICE of New York, Mrs. LURIA, Ms. 

DELAURO, Mr. LYNCH, Ms. FRANKEL, Ms. ESCOBAR, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. 

LARSEN of Washington, Ms. KAPTUR, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, 

Mr. RYAN, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. WELCH, Ms. 

GABBARD, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. SABLAN, Ms. KUSTER

of New Hampshire, Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. 

GOMEZ, Mr. RICHMOND, Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. 

LANGEVIN, Ms. CRAIG, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Ms. 

KELLY of Illinois, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. HAALAND, Mr. LEWIS, Mr. 

CONNOLLY, Mr. LUJA ́N, Mr. FOSTER, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Ms. 

JUDY CHU of California, Mr. GARCI ́A of Illinois, Mr. GOLDEN, Mrs. 

BEATTY, Ms. SEWELL of Alabama, Mr. CASTEN of Illinois, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. 

SARBANES, Mr. MORELLE, Mrs. TRAHAN, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. EVANS, Mr. 


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KIM, Mr. LEVIN of California, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. CRIST, Mr. 

SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Ms. FINKENAUER, Mr. 

MALINOWSKI, Ms. SCANLON, Mr. HIGGINS of New York, Mr. CLEAVER, 

Mr. LOEBSACK, Mr. KEATING, Ms. ADAMS, Ms. SLOTKIN, and Mr. COX

of California) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on Education and Labor, 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 

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 


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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; 

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 5,140,000 older Americans lived in poverty in 2018; 

5,500,000 older Americans were food insecure in 2017; 

40,000 older Americans experienced homelessness in 

2017 (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 


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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 are being raised by their grandparents who require the same rights and supports as parents; 

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; and 

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: 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— 


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1 (A) guaranteed access to equitable, com2 prehensive, geographically available, timely, safe 

3 and dignified health care; 

4 (B) preserved, improved, and expanded 

5 Medicare and Medicaid benefits; 

6 (C) lower prescription drug prices and in7 creased drug price transparency; 

8 (D) mechanisms to allow aging in place, 

9 including support for family and nonfamily 

10 caregivers, and expansion of the direct care 

11 workforce; 

12 (E) protection against neglect, abandon13 ment, and domestic abuse; 

14 (F) culturally and linguistically competent 

15 health care and social services; 

16 (G) health-promoting public health policies 

17 and programs; 

18 (H) higher standards for skilled nursing 

19 facilities; 

20 (I) increased access to self-directed pallia21 tive care; and 

22 (J) increased access to nutritional service; 

23 (2) financial and retirement security for them24 selves and their families, through— 


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1 (A) preserved, improved, and expanded So2 cial Security benefits; 

3 (B) protection for pensions as earned bene4 fits; 

5 (C) assistance in establishing retirement 

6 savings; 

7 (D) protection against financial exploi8 tation, abuse, scams, and digital identity theft; 

9 and 

10 (E) job training, volunteer opportunities, 

11 and enforcement of age discrimination in em12 ployment prohibitions; and 

13 (3) full participation in and contribution to 

14 their communities, through— 

15 (A) accessible and affordable housing and 

16 transportation; 

17 (B) equitable access to technology, includ18 ing expanded broadband speed, affordability, 

19 and accessibility; 

20 (C) social networking and other opportuni21 ties for digital engagement; 

22 (D) the right to vote and improved polling 

23 location accessibility; and 


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1 (E) culturally and linguistically competent 

2 and comprehensive home and community-based 

3 services. 

Æ 


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