I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2639 
To reauthorize the Elder Justice Act of 2009. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 24, 2017 
Mr. KING of New York (for himself, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mrs. DIN-
GELL, and Mr. MEEHAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees 
on the Judiciary, Energy and Commerce, and Education and the Work-
force, 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 
A BILL 
To reauthorize the Elder Justice Act of 2009. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Elder Justice Reau-
thorization Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) According to the American Journal of Pub-
lic Health, at least 10 percent of older Americans 
experience elder abuse. 
(2) Victims of elder financial abuse are esti-
mated to lose at least $2.9 billion a year. 
(3) Victims of elder abuse are three times more 
likely to end up in a hospital and four times more 
likely to end up in a nursing home than nonvictims. 
(4) Adult protective services which operate in 
all 50 States to help prevent elder abuse and inves-
tigate cases have no dedicated Federal funding or 
any designated Federal agency home. 
(5) Underreporting of elder abuse cases, espe-
cially financial abuse, remains a major issue com-
bined with a dearth of comprehensive and reliable 
data which collectively leads to a vast underesti-
mation of the real amount of elder abuse in the Na-
tion. 
(6) Differences in State laws and practices in 
the areas of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older 
adults lead to significant disparities in prevention, 
protective and social services, treatment systems, 
and law enforcement, and lead to other inequities. 
(7) Starting with the 1974 enactment of the 
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, the 
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Federal Government has played an important role in 
promoting research, training, public safety, data col-
lection, the identification, development, and dissemi-
nation of promising health care, social, and protec-
tive services, and law enforcement practices, relating 
to child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, and vi-
olence against women. The Federal Government 
should promote similar efforts and protections relat-
ing to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. 
(8) The Federal Government should provide 
leadership to assist States and communities in their 
efforts to prevent elder abuse, including the pro-
motion of coordinated planning between all levels of 
government and nongovernment entities and gener-
ating and sharing knowledge relevant to protecting 
elders. 
(9) The problem of elder abuse, neglect, and ex-
ploitation requires a comprehensive approach that— 
(A) recognizes the statutory role of State 
and local adult protective services and long- 
term care ombudsman programs to respond to 
elder abuse; 
(B) integrates the work of health, legal, 
and social service agencies and organizations; 
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(C) emphasizes the need for prevention, 
detection, reporting, investigation, assessment 
and treatment, and prosecution of elder abuse, 
neglect, and exploitation at all levels of govern-
ment; 
(D) ensures that sufficient numbers of 
properly trained personnel with specialized 
knowledge are in place to treat, assess, and pro-
vide services related to elder abuse, neglect, and 
exploitation, and carry out elder protection du-
ties; 
(E) ensures there is cultural competency to 
address the unique needs of a diverse older 
adult population with respect to elder abuse; 
and 
(F) balances an elder’s right to self-deter-
mination with society’s responsibility to protect 
elders. 
(10) The future well-being of millions of older 
adults may be challenged by elder abuse and a co-
ordinated and comprehensive Federal response is 
needed. Elder abuse prevention is a sound invest-
ment that can produce savings to the Medicare and 
Medicaid programs in the future. 
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(11) A victim of elder abuse is never the same 
after being victimized. 
SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF THE ELDER JUSTICE ACT OF 
2009. 
(a) AMENDMENTS TO THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT.— 
(1) Each of the following provisions of the So-
cial Security Act is amended by striking ‘‘2014’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2021’’: 
(A) Section 2024(2) (42 U.S.C. 1397k– 
3(2)). 
(B) 
Section 
2042(a)(2) 
(42 
U.S.C. 
1397m–1(a)(2)). 
(C) 
Section 
2042(b)(5) 
(42 
U.S.C. 
1397m–1(b)(5)). 
(D) 
Section 
2042(c)(5) 
(42 
U.S.C. 
1397m–1(c)(5)). 
(E) 
Section 
2043(b)(2) 
(42 
U.S.C. 
1397m–2(b)(2)). 
(2) Each of the following provisions of the So-
cial Security Act is amended by striking ‘‘and 2014’’ 
and inserting ‘‘through 2021’’: 
(A) 
Section 
2031(f)(3) 
(42 
U.S.C. 
1397l(f)(3)). 
(B) 
Section 
2041(d)(3) 
(42 
U.S.C. 
1397m(d)(3)). 
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(C) Section 2043(a)(2)(C) (42 U.S.C. 
1397m–2(a)(2)(C)). 
(3) Section 2045 of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1397m–4) is amended by striking ‘‘October 
1, 2014’’ and inserting ‘‘2 years after the completion 
of grants made to States under section 2042’’. 
(b) AMENDMENTS TO THE PATIENT PROTECTION 
AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.—Section 6703(b) of the 
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395i–3a(b)) is amended in each of paragraphs (1)(C) 
and (2)(C), by striking ‘‘2014’’ and inserting ‘‘2021’’. 
Æ 
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