Call to Action: LEGISLATIVE CENTER

Federal legislative updates

Elder Justice Act updates

May 26, 2010, EJC National Coordinator Testified Yesterday on Behalf of the Senior Financial Empowerment Act (pdf:114k), The Elder Justice Coalition
2010, Summary of the Elder Justice Act, American Bar Association Commission on Law & Aging
December 11, 2009, Amendment Passed to Protect Seniors from Financial Exploitation (pdf:97k), The Elder Justice Coalition
November 10, 2009, Elder Justice and Health Care Reform (pdf:122k), The Elder Justice Coalition
October 21, 2009, Kohl, Leahy, Mikulski, Lemieux Introduce Bill to Improved Enforcement of Elder Abuse Laws (pdf:140k), The Elder Justice Coalition
October 13, 2009, Senate Finance Committee Vote and Elder Justice (pdf:49k), The Elder Justice Coalition
April 22, 2009, King Fights to Protect the Elderly from Abuse and Exploitation, Reintroduces bill to protect American seniors and improve long-term care (pdf:112k), Congress of the United States, House of Representatives
April 16, 2009, Re-Introduction of Elder Justice Act (S.795) in Senate State Services Protecting Elder Abuse Victims To Receive First Ever Federal Help (pdf:47k), The National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA)
April 3, 2009, Elder Justice Act Introduced in Senate (pdf:59k), The Elder Justice Coalition
February 11, 2009, House Passes First Elder Abuse Legislation of 2009 (pdf:49k), The Elder Justice Coalition

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H.R. 5352 updates

Official Title as Introduced: To protect seniors in the United States from elder abuse by establishing specialized elder abuse prosecution and research programs and activities to aid victims of elder abuse, to provide training to prosecutors and other law enforcement related to elder abuse prevention and protection, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Sestak, Joe [PA-7] (introduced 2/12/2008)

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi leads House of Representatives in the Passage of the Elder Abuse Victims Act of 2008

On September 23rd Speaker Nancy Pelosi led the House of Representatives in passing the Elder Abuse Victims Act of 2008. This legislation would provide critical funding for state and local prosecutors to address elder abuse in communities across the country. It would also require the United States Attorney General to study and present a national long term plan to combat elder abuse. This legislation is long overdue and Speaker Pelosi is proud to be leading the New Direction Congress in addressing the priorities of the American people.

For more information regarding H.R. 5352, the Elder Abuse Victims Act of 2008 (Rep. Sestak - Judiciary) visit the Library of Congress website

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Elder Justice Act (H.R. 1783)

If passed, the new law among other things would:

  • Establish dual Offices of Elder Justice in the US Department of Health and Human Services/Administration on Aging and US Department of Justice to coordinate elder abuse prevention efforts nationally
  • Require a FBI criminal background check of long term care nursing aides and better training for workers in the detection of elder abuse
  • Establish an Office of Adult Protective Services within the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families
  • Enhance law enforcement response

For more information, visit: The Elder Justice Coalition

 

California legislative updates

California Senior Legislature Newsletters

California Senior Legislature Announces Top Senior Legislative Proposals, Press Advisory, October 10, 2009, pdf

The California Senior Legislature (CSL) announced its Top Ten State and Top Four Federal priorities at a news conference at the State Capitol October 30, 2009. Senior Assembly Member Richard Dahlgren, Chair of the CSL Joint Rules Committee and Senior Senator Anne Mack, Chair of the Legislative Committee were on hand to talk about CSL’s Top Ten State and Top Four Federal priorities for 2009.

AB 324: Elder Economic Dignity Act of 2009


Did you know that many elders in California fail to make ends meet and they fail to qualify for public benefits because their income is over the Federal Poverty Guidelines? AB 324: Elder Economic Dignity Act of 2009 would use the Elder Economic Security Standard™ Index (Elder Index) to provide a better measure of poverty to plan for the needs of California’s growing aging population.

AJR 6: Resolution Elder Economic Dignity Act of 2009

AJR 6 (Beall) calls on President Obama and Congress to ensure that the United States is working to achieve the economic security of the aging population in California and beyond by modernizing the way in which poverty among seniors is calculated

Assembly Bill 246 Benoit proposing plan to curb elder abuse via fraud,mydesert.com, Desert Sun Wires, February 24, 2009
Assembly Bill 392 (Feuer and Jones) Protecting Vulnerable Seniors from Abuse and Neglect by Restoring Ombudsman Funding (pdf:16k)
An act to amend Section 1417.2 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to long-term health care facilities (pdf:563k)
SB 1140 The New Elder Financial Abuse Law in California: Big Changes are Coming! (pdf:17k) Steven Riess, JD, LL.ME
SB 1136 Stopping Medic-Cal Eligibility Rip-Offs: A New Tool For Protecting Elders (pdf:17k), Steven Riess, JD, LL.ME

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