EJC History — 23 Years of Federal Elder Justice Advocacy

Founded to Change Federal Law

In February 2003, five national organizations recognized a gap at the center of federal policy on aging: elder abuse — the physical, psychological, sexual, and financial exploitation of older adults — had no comprehensive federal statute, no dedicated federal funding, and no coordinated federal response. The National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the National Association of State Units on Aging, the National Association of State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs, and the National Adult Protective Services Association decided to change that.

They founded the Elder Justice Coalition to coincide with the introduction of the original Elder Justice Act in the 108th Congress. The timing was deliberate: the coalition and the legislation would grow together, each lending credibility to the other. EJC would mobilize members to demand Congress act; the legislation would give those members something specific to demand.

Seven Years to the Elder Justice Act

The Elder Justice Act was not enacted quickly. It took seven years of persistent advocacy, reintroduction in multiple congressional sessions, coalition-building across the professional spectrum, and the fortuitous vehicle of the Affordable Care Act to reach enactment in 2010. When President Obama signed it into law, the Elder Justice Act became the first comprehensive federal legislation specifically addressing elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation in American history.

For EJC, the 2010 enactment was not a destination — it was a proof of concept. A nonpartisan coalition of professional organizations, coordinated by a small DC-based staff, had changed federal law by mobilizing consistent constituent pressure on a specific legislative target. The same model would be applied in every subsequent campaign.

Annual Appropriations: The Ongoing Campaign

Passing the Elder Justice Act was only the first challenge. Funding the programs it authorized became the annual battle. EJC shifted its lobbying focus from authorization to appropriations — a less dramatic but equally important legislative process that determines whether programs authorized in statute actually receive money to operate.

Each fiscal year, EJC coordinates member campaigns to contact the House and Senate Appropriations committees, specifically the subcommittees with jurisdiction over the Labor-HHS bill that funds the Department of Health and Human Services programs relevant to elder justice: Adult Protective Services formula grants, Long-Term Care Ombudsman programs, and the Elder Justice Act programs themselves.

The dollar amounts EJC advocates for are specific: $100 million in formula funding for APS, $65 million for LTCOP in assisted living facilities, $70 million for core LTCOP under Title VII of the Older Americans Act, and $52.5 million for Elder Justice Act programs covering training and direct services. These are not aspirational numbers — they reflect documented funding gaps between what states need and what the federal government currently provides.

The USPSTF Challenge and 2026 Campaigns

In June 2025, EJC published a formal public comment responding to the US Preventive Services Task Force's refusal — again — to recommend elder abuse screening. EJC's Policy Analyst Laura Borth called the decision “a regrettable form of ageism,” noting that the USPSTF's reluctance to treat elder abuse as a medical concern warranting preventive screening stands in contrast to its approach to other forms of family violence.

In 2026, EJC is coordinating three active congressional campaigns simultaneously: OAA reauthorization (bipartisan Senate bill, lobbying the House), FY27 APS funding at $100 million, and FY27 LTCOP funding totaling $187.5 million across Title VII and Elder Justice Act programs. Three thousand members from every sector of the elder justice field are the constituency behind these asks.