A bill introduced last month in the U.S. Senate aims to boost federal funding to state programs that deal with the reporting of elder abuse and the support of victims.

The bill, called S. 2727 or the Elder Protection and Abuse Protection Act, can be read here.

It’s been sitting in committee for over 30 days, and GovTrack.us gives the legislation a paltry 1 percent chance of getting out of committee.

Even still, the existence of the bill – and the fact that this same legislation has been introduced three separate times in four years – shows that the sentiment exists among federal lawmakers to appropriate more resources to elder abuse programs.

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The bill would amend portions of the Older American Act of 1965 to define elder abuse as “the knowing infliction of physical or psychological harm or the knowing deprivation of goods or services that are necessary to meet essential needs or to avoid physical or psychological harm.”

Under the bill, federal funds also would be appropriated for states to establish elder abuse screening, reporting and support programs.

“By requiring tough national standards for screening and reporting, this bill would help hold bad actors accountable for their deplorable behavior and provide critical protections for senior citizens,” Blumenthal said in a statement on the bill.

Just 1 in 23.5 cases of elder abuse is ever reported due to a lack of screening, awareness and prevention resources, according to the bill. The mortality rate of seniors who fall victim to elder abuse is three times higher than those who don’t experience elder abuse, and the annual financial loss of those victims is estimated to be at least $2.9 billion, Blumenthal said.