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| LEGISLATIVE CENTER |
- Battin bill now law, easing seniors' court testimony by Hank Henshaw, The Desert Sun, July 2, 2008
Seniors may soon take supporters with them to court,
thanks to a bill signed into law Tuesday. Advertisement
Senate Bill 1343 by Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta, will allow a senior or dependent
adult to have up to two support persons when
they are prosecution witnesses in cases involving
abuses, from physical threats to financial losses
and identity theft.
The bill was sponsored by Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco.
"Adding moral support for our elderly victims is a minor thing that California
can do to ease a difficult experience," Battin
said in a prepared statement.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger added in a signing statement that the bill "not only
protects this vulnerable community but helps to prevent these types of crimes
from happening again."
SB 1343 takes effect Jan. 1.
- Elder
Financial Protection Network Board Update,
by Nick Warner, EFPN Legislative Analyst, Managing
Partner, Warner & Pank, LLC, June 19, 2008
- EFPN
Legislative Update 2007-2008 (pdf:143kb), by Nick Warner,
EFPN Legislative Analyst, Managing Partner, Warner & Pank, LLC
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- Advisory from the Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security, House
Ways and Means Committee, June 17, 2008
Ways and Means Committee holds hearings on
protection of Social Security benefits and
banks' practices that may violate federal law.
The Social Security Act explicitly protects
Social Security benefits from certain debt
collection procedures and prohibits assignment
of benefits to third parties. Yet, certain
financial practices may undermine these protections.
Beneficiaries should not lose control over
how their funds are spent simply because they
lack bank accounts and are steered into abusive
direct deposit arrangements. Nor should seniors
and people with disabilities be required to
navigate through complex legal channels in
order to ensure that benefit protections are
enforced. We owe it to our most vulnerable
citizens to ensure that the Social Security
Act’s protections are observed by financial
institutions. The hearing will examine certain
financial practices of banks and other institutions
regarding account freezes, garnishment of beneficiary
accounts, and high-fee direct deposit arrangements
with certain payday lenders and check-cashing
businesses. It will also evaluate how these
practices may conflict with benefit protections
in the Social Security Act, examine the response
of SSA and federal agencies that regulate financial
institution practices, and consider whether
further action is required.
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- Another
Step Forward for Elder Justice (pdf:
70k), The Elder Justice Coalition, July 14, 2008
- Elder
Justice Act Passes House Judiciary Committee,
(pdf: 49k), The Elder Justice Coalition, June
5, 2008
- Letter
to Senator Max Baucus and Senator
Chuck Grassley urging inclusion of S. 1070, the
bi-partisan Elder Justice Act (EJA) in the
Medicare bill or in other moving legislation,
(pdf:48k), Robert B. Blancato, National Coordinator,
The Elder Justice Coalition, June 2008
- Subcommittee
on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security
of the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing
on H.R. 1783, the Elder Justice Act.,
(pdf:83k), The Elder Justice Coalition, April
17, 2008
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 |
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