Bipartisan Coalition Fighting For Elder Justice

hatch.senate.gov, Jun 20, 2007

Legislation Would Combat Crimes Against Seniors

Washington – A bipartisan group in Congress introduced legislation to protect senior citizens from abuse and exploitation. The Elder Justice Act of 2007 would combat the reported mistreatment of as many as 2 million American seniors by their caregivers. The legislation’s sponsors are Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), and Rep. Peter King (R-NY).

“Thousands of cases of elder abuse go unaddressed every day,” Hatch said. “We have armies of federal employees fighting child and domestic abuse, yet we don’t have one federal employee working full time combating elder abuse. That’s going to change when this bill becomes law.” “Every older person living in this country has the right to be free of abuse, neglect, and exploitation,” Lincoln said. “The Elder Justice Act makes combating elder abuse a national priority, and its passage is long overdue.”

“Every year, millions of American seniors are victims of abuse and neglect. This bill will bring focus to the problem of elder abuse and elevate it to the same level as other family violence issues, like domestic violence and child abuse,” Emanuel said. “Elder abuse remains under-researched, under-reported, under-funded and under-prosecuted.” "Elder abuse, neglect and exploitation are alarming issues that must be addressed by Congress,” King said. “That is why I am proud to stand with such a bipartisan coalition to introduce this legislation."

If enacted into law, the Elder Justice Act would provide federal resources to state and community officials who currently grapple with elder abuse with scarce means and fragmented systems. Mechanisms for identifying and tracking elder abuse indicate that many instances of injustice are not reported for appropriate prosecution