A resolution designating the week of October 5 through October 9, 2020, as "Malnutrition Awareness Week".

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, Mrs. CAPITO, Ms. ERNST, Ms. ROSEN, and Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary NOVEMBER 12, 2020 Committee discharged; considered and agreed to 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 in- security, which is linked to malnutrition; and VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:46 Nov 13, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR716.ATS SR716 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 SRES 716 ATS (2) has nearly doubled food insufficiency rates since 2019; Whereas the 2020 coronavirus pandemic has had a dispropor- tionate 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 dis- ease 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 prop- erly nourished patients; Whereas, according to the National Blueprint: Achieving Quality Malnutrition Care for Older Adults, 2020 Up- VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:46 Nov 13, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR716.ATS SR716 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 SRES 716 ATS date, as many as 1⁄2 of older adults living in the commu- nity are malnourished or at risk for malnutrition; 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 Resolved, That the Senate— 1 (1) designates the week of October 5 through 2 October 9, 2020, as ‘‘Malnutrition Awareness 3 Week’’; 4 (2) recognizes registered dietitian nutritionists 5 and other nutrition professionals, health care pro- 6 viders, social workers, advocates, caregivers, and 7 other professionals and agencies for their efforts to 8 advance awareness, treatment, and prevention of 9 malnutrition; 10 (3)(A) recognizes the importance of existing 11 Federal nutrition programs for their role in com- 12 bating malnutrition; and 13 (B) supports emergency funding for those crit- 14 ical Federal nutrition programs for the duration of 15 the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19) pan- 16 demic; 17 (4) recognizes— 18 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:46 Nov 13, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR716.ATS SR716 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 SRES 716 ATS (A) the importance of medical nutrition 1 therapy under the Medicare program under title 2 XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 3 1395 et seq.); and 4 (B) the need for vulnerable populations to 5 have access to nutrition counseling; 6 (5) recognizes the importance of the innovative 7 research conducted by the National Institutes of 8 Health on— 9 (A) nutrition, dietary patterns, and the 10 human gastrointestinal microbiome; and 11 (B) how those factors influence the preven- 12 tion or development of chronic disease through- 13 out the lifespan; and 14 (6)(A) supports access to a malnutrition screen- 15 ing and assessment; and 16 (B) encourages the Centers for Medicare & 17 Medicaid Services to evaluate— 18 (i) the provision of a malnutrition screen- 19 ing and assessment through telehealth during 20 the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19) 21 public health emergency; and 22 (ii) the adoption of malnutrition electronic 23 clinical quality measures. 24 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:46 Nov 13, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR716.ATS SR716 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS