The Elder Abuse and Prevention Act has a good chance of becoming law this year, its key sponsor, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA) predicted Thursday. "It would make society a safer place for seniors," Grassley said at a Judiciary session where the bill passed unanimously on a voice vote. The legislation has received wide support among elderly advocacy groups. The Senator said the bill has a better chance of being enacted than an almost identical measure did last year because it ran out of time.
Among the protections:
* Penalties are increased for telemarketing and email marketing fraud against seniors.
* Each federal judicial district would have at least one Justice Department attorney focusing on senior fraud.
* Data collection of elder abuse would be greatly expanded by the federal government. AARP and other promoters of the aged have long contended a major reason prosecution of elder abuse is rare is because reliable statistics do not exist to show the high prevalence of the problem.
* More Justice Department training for state and local government on elder abuse.
"Seniors deserve to be treated with respect," said the Iowa Republican, a senior citizen himself, said. Senate Aging Chair Committee Susan Collins (R-ME) is a co-sponsor of the legislation
Click here to learn more about our work in the areas of "Abuse of Vulnerable Citizens, Persons with Disabilities, and Elderly Citizens"
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