Ayotte Backs Bill to Prevent Elder Abuse, Protect NH Seniors

Press Release

U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte today announced that she is cosponsoring the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act to expand tools and training to fight crimes targeting seniors, including fraud and financial schemes that seek to exploit seniors. The legislation was introduced by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and includes several initiatives that Senator Ayotte previously co-authored with Senator Blumenthal in separate legislation, the Robert Matava Elder Abuse Victims Act of 2015 (S. 1663).

"New Hampshire's seniors deserve the dignity of a secure retirement, but unfortunately, we've seen that crimes against seniors, including incidents of elder abuse and financial exploitation, are on the rise. As a former prosecutor and Attorney General, I know the importance of giving law enforcement and local governments the tools they need to prevent and prosecute elder abuse," said Senator Ayotte. "By enhancing penalties for telemarketing and email fraud directed at seniors and expanding training for FBI agents, law enforcement, and state and local governments, we can help protect seniors in our state and across the country from these kinds of disgraceful scams."

The Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (S. 3270) expands data collection and encourages greater information sharing to better prevent and respond to all forms of elder abuse and exploitation, including financial crimes against seniors. Specifically, the bill increases training for federal investigators and prosecutors and equips each judicial district with at least one prosecutor having expertise with elder abuse cases. It also establishes an elder justice coordinator within the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection. Further, the bill improves information sharing among government agencies and between federal, state and local authorities to develop best practices in the fight against elder financial exploitation. Additionally, the bill increases penalties for perpetrators of elder abuse, including mandatory forfeiture, in an effort to deter future offences.

The legislation is supported by the 60 Plus Association, Alzheimer's Association, American Bar Association, Conference of Chief Justices, Conference of State Court Administrators, Consumers Union, Elder Justice Coalition, National Center for Victims of Crime, SIFMA, and USAgainstAlzheimer's. Last week, the legislation passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by voice vote.

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